You've Got Mail
by angel422
Summary: The title says it all! It's online, it's all fun, and it's a great way to explore the connection between Tommy and Jude. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**_Author's Note: I was sitting at home last night typing the new chapters to 'Lean on Me,' Bon Voyage,' and 'When a Man Loves a Woman' when inspiration hit. Wouldn't you know. I also want to say before I start this new story that congratulations are in order for FrozenFireHeart for acing her French exam. I hope Viva La France helped (laugh out loud), and I wanted to give a special thanks to Saralyleth for PMing me yesterday wondering about where I was. My boss had me run errands but it just does wonderful things for me to know you guys look for me. It really does. I kept reading all of the reviews I got before I left work (I always print them out), and this idea struck. What if Tommy and Jude communicated over E-mail and then later met. What would they both do. Cyberspace dating. Hot stuff these days. Lots of smiles to you guys. Let me now what you think. Please R&R. Takes place Three months after finale. Disclaimer: I do not own Instant Star or its characters.

* * *

_****_Tommy..._**

"There's something I want you to see, Tom." Madalyn said in an excited tone as Tommy looked up from the paperwork he had been viewing just in time to see his sister looking over at him impatiently. Tom sighed. His little sister was old enough now to be self-sufficient but still young enough at ten to drive him absolutely nuts. Suffice it to say, she had been a surprise for his parents. The legal documents he had been looking at determining the adoption procedures for his niece was beginning to wear on him anyway. He stood up as he moved toward her.

"This had better be good, Maddie, or I swear I'll hold you upside down by your feet." Tommy mumbled as he followed her wearily into her room where she had her laptop spread out onto her bed. Tom raised a brow. If only he had the amenities this chick had when he had been her age. He shrugged as Maddie turned the screen toward him.

"I've been playing around on a website that caters to those who are interested in music. There's a musician here who has written some fantastic lyrics. Only now she says she's blocked—stuck. I know how much you miss doing that. Maybe you should try helping her out, huh?" Maddie asked as Tommy shook his head.

"I don't do computers, Maddie." Tommy said simply before turning to walk out of the room. Maddie grabbed him by the arm.

"Please, just look at it. Pretty please!" Maddie pleaded as Tommy winced at her shrill tone and pouty face. Oh, she'd be a damned force to reckon with if he didn't at least look.

"Fine." He mumbled as he sat down with her on the edge of her bed. She lifted the computer onto his lap. The lyrics immediately got his attention—made him squint harder at the screen. Maddie just looked satisfied as if she had known it would more than interest him.

_**I'm running scared as if I'm afraid of the larger fight.**_

_**Still haunted—haunted by the images of fading taillights.**_

_**It's like I'm reaching for a reckoning—a moment of need.**_

_**An explanation for the torment—the reason behind the speed. **_

_**Let me know what you think guys, Kudos—puppetonastring**_

Tom stared at it a minute before looking up over at his sister.

"That's not bad at all. That girl might actually have some potential. Add her to my Instant Messenger, kiddo. I don't get on that thing much, but I'll get on tonight and see if I can't help her out some." Tommy replied as he ruffled his sister's hair before getting up and going back to work. Maddie just smiled as she sat down again on her bed. She knew about her brother's life in Toronto—knew about Jude Harrison although he didn't talk about it much. She scrolled down the screen and added 'puppetonastring' to her brother's account. What Tom didn't know was that the handle she had just added was the newest one used by Jude Harrison online. She changed it periodically to fit her mood. Right now Jude seemed to feel confused and pulled in a million different directions. Maybe, by doing this, Maddie was helping Tommy figure out his own confusion.

* * *

**_Later that night…_**

Tom logged onto his Instant messenger account—changing the handle on it first in case anyone from the studio was still looking for him. He needed just a little more time in Montana to complete his business before he returned. He hadn't been able to get those lyrics out of his head since he had read them earlier. He began to type wondering why he bothered with this at all. Maybe he just needed the distraction—the need to get away from the grief of losing his older sister and with the hassle he was having getting her daughter, Christianna, signed over to his parents. It was enough to make him look for an outlet—for a chance to work with music again.


	2. Chapter 2

I was so tired—exhausted after three months of promoting my new number one album. Darius had me acting like one of those Eukanuba sponsored show dogs—jumping through hoops, running around in circles, and heeling when ordered to do so. Not to mention, I was supposed to keep that tail of mine wagging and a smile plastered on my face at all times. It was exhausting—it was downright turbulent. So by the time I sat down at Mason's house, where I was staying at the moment, later that particular afternoon in order to get onto his Internet, I was exhausted. It was time to blog—talk to those who were following my tour while still publicizing my CD. It was, however, one of the few things that I didn't mind doing. Instead, it kept me honest and maybe even a little humbled. Mason walked over to me with a steaming mug of coffee, and I looked up at him gratefully as I logged in. A message popped up suddenly that interested me, and I opened it cautiously. It was about my lyrics, and I sat up quickly as I read. Mason took a seat next to me.

_**Have you thought about doing a blue's beat—adding lyrics with a classic theme? Something like "Encroaching on the world of ghosts buried in my mind/ trying to exorcise visions that just won't leave me alone/ Searching for comfort now in pain and fear/ Wondering as I do if they're somewhere—somewhere near." It's a thought. I'm impressed with what you've got so far.**_

_**--puppetmaster**_

"Wow!" Mason uttered next to me as I looked up in surprise. I hadn't expected a response to that post—especially not a PM that included not only additional lyrics but almost producer like directions as well. It felt almost good to get advice for once. I had been doing it on my own for a while now. Kwest was great in the soundroom, but when it came to writing lyrics, he flopped—God love him.

"Are you just going to sit there, or are you going to write that person back?" Mason asked as he lounged back in his seat and placed his feet into my lap. Ughhhh! I leaned over and knocked his cowboy hat off his head so he'd have to sit up to pick it back up.

"I am not a feet person." I remarked caustically as Mason grinned before putting his hat back on and lounging back once again. I looked back at the computer before pressing reply.

_**I would have never thought of going there. I needed that inspiration. I've tried acoustic soul but not Blues yet. What about a mix of the two? The song seems to call for that anyway. It's almost a painful tune, but about breaking free too. Would I be nosy if I asked a little bit about you? Puppetmaster is a fairly arrogant handle (laugh out loud). You have a thing for ruling the roost?**_

**_--puppetonastring_**

I typed before reading back over it and pressing send. I almost stood up and walked off until I heard my computer scream "You've got mail." Damn, whoever it was was online.


	3. Chapter 3

Mason looked over at me with a small smile on his face as he leaned over and clicked my messenger. I just glared at him before pushing him to the side and sitting down. And then I looked over at the screen.

**_Both works—a little soul, rock, and blues mixed together. You'll probably have problems with the beat if you mix the rock. Just watch yourself on the tempo. I like the idea though. You'll want a little backup outside of acoustic if you're going with angry or edgy. I'm a ruling the roost kind of guy or so I've been told. Forewarned is fore-prepared. I've also been described as overbearing. I'd rather go with the ruling description. It has a ring of importance to it. Have you always been interested in music?_**

**_--puppetmaster_**

The message read as I laughed at the last statement. Mason turned his chair around and straddled it before placing a hand near the keyboard. I slapped it away.

"Seems unfair that you get to have all the fun, especially since we now know it's a guy." Mason remarked as I just rolled my eyes up at him.

"Geez, Mason, he could look like Shrek and smell worse than the swamp he lives in." I stated wryly as Mason sighed.

"That's why we have computers. We don't have to worry about appearance." Mason muttered as I just grunted.

"Like you have all that much to worry about." I replied before turning back to the computer screen while placing my fingers along the keyboard.

_**I love that idea for the music. I'll have to talk to my band members about some drum piec**es **and etc. I've been interested in music since I was old enough to hold a guitar without dropping it (laugh). Something about the idea of bright stage lights and losing yourself in a tune. It keeps you sane when your life isn't offering you sanity. Do you know what I mean? I've been described as willful and crass**_**. _There's been harsher descriptions, but I think I'll save those for now (grin)._**

_**--puppetonastring**_

I wrote before pressing send again. Mason just sat back with a grin. I looked over at him and chucked him upside the head. I knew what he was thinking.

"Go order a pizza or something, cowboy." I remarked simply before sitting back in the desk chair waiting for what I hoped would be a quick response. I had had a long day at the studio complete with a lecture from Liam, yelling from Darius, and an argument with Sadie about having Kwest stay at the apartment (hence the Mason move in). I just wasn't sure how I felt about seeing Kwest walk around in a pair of boxers. It's a good thing Sadie was old enough now that our father had learned to turn a blind eye. I'd sure as hell be glad when I hit that golden point past the age of eighteen. Mason sat with me a moment before finally getting up and calling in an order. He had just finished when my messenger dinged again. Peculiarly, I found myself smiling at the sound.

"You've got mail." Mason quipped teasingly as I stared at the screen.

**_I know a girl like you, and I hear you when it comes to sanity. Sometimes it takes everything we've got to keep from losing total control. Willful is much better than overbearing. At least willful gets you to the top—makes you stronger—determined. __Do you have a reason you have to be willful?_**

_**--puppetmaster**_

I stared at the computer screen a moment as I thought about his question. Did I have a reason to be willful? Hell I had a whole barrel full of them.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Tommy...**_

_**I guess I have a lot to be willful for. Have you ever been put in a situation where you feel like your life is being decided for you—as if everything you said and did was a written script you memorized in your sleep. I feel that way sometimes. But I try fighting the system—try using music as a way to abhor the rules. Are you a rule breaker, puppetmaster? I've loved and lost a little too much lately too. I've learned to protect my heart. Do you ever lose control?**_

_**--Puppetonastring**_

Tom read the reply back to him curiously—becoming more and more fascinated with the girl behind the lyrics. He couldn't figure out why he hadn't just logged off by now. He didn't need the complication of getting into someone else's head, but she fascinated him in only a few messages and that said a lot right there. Maybe he needed to talk to someone without worrying about being inhibited. He pushed himself closer to the keyboard on his computer. She was still logged on. He'd have to switch to email otherwise.

_**Life can be like that, especially in the music business. It becomes stale at times—a trial just to get up in the morning knowing that you'd be doing anything other than what you've planned for the day. Next thing you know, you're losing yourself in beds with strangers and in strange bars somewhere. Hopefully, you're willful enough not to fall into that trap. So you were in love? Hope he was well worth the pain you feel now.**_

_**--Puppetmaster**_

Tommy typed the message with only slight reserve before pressing send. He had revealed a little bit too much intimate information about himself, but he felt good knowing that she'd never know who he was anyway. He looked up at the clock on the wall above his head and he almost gasped. The night had progressed into the realm of delirium where you know you're not going to have enough time to catch up on any sleep even if you did decide to go to bed. His messenger dinged.

_**You sound like you know that from experience. Not a worldly man, are you? The bed comment pretty much clued me into that one, puppetmaster. I loved a man like you actually. I don't know if he was really worth the pain I've nursed until I think it's finally died—well not died but simmering now at a tolerable level at the back of the stove. He never gave me a chance to know him well enough. He walked away first and left my pride wounded. I have great friends though and a wonderful support group. I am in love with my best friend's couch and a box of Ben and Jerry's chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream right now with this laptop and left over pizza while listening to that old movie The Breakfast Club in the background. My friend conked out about five minutes ago. He sleeps with drool coming out of his mouth. I'm considering placing a cup underneath it. It's late. I should probably go.**_

_**--puppetonastring**_

Tommy stared at the screen feeling his loins almost tighten at the words typed there only because they suddenly reminded him so much of Jude—the one girl he had always tried his best not to sink his flesh into because she was off limits only to find himself tempted enough that he didn't care. That was before his family had sent someone to find him—before he had been mulled over by the fact that he had just lost a loved one. He saw the icon on his messenger go black and he knew she had logged off. He entered his email instead.

_**I loved a girl like you once too. She was bright and sunny—the ray that broke through my overcast world. An icon that tempted fantasies from me that her mind probably couldn't comprehend. God knows I've tried to forget them myself—tried to get the image of sinking into her to forget everything out of my head. Family needs tie me down right now, but how those thoughts keep me company. Right now, I could use a good unfiltered cigarette and a glass of bourbon both of which I don't need. Good night to you, puppet. So long from the master.**_

_**--Puppetmaster**_


	5. Chapter 5

I logged on the next morning more out of curiosity that anything else—trying my best to tell myself that I didn't care if there weren't any messages. But the truth was I did care—the truth was I had found myself connecting with the guy almost on a spiritual level—that plane of truth where anything seems to go. It was the first time that it seemed anyone had let me that close to their emotions. My computer lit up and the gallant sound of 'you've got mail' filled the air, and I found myself practically beaming into outer space as I opened it. The message almost had me blushing at its frankness—at the raw sensuality that I could tell the man harbored just through his words, but it also held a key of sadness and regret as if he had made decisions in his life that had destroyed him to make. God, why did he seem so familiar to me? I sat down and typed.

**_Your woman sounds almost too good to be true. An icon? That's an awful big role to fill. I'm the opposite of an icon—abrupt and always getting myself into trouble (laugh). I have this boss who spends most of his time telling me I'm not good enough or that I should have done this differently. After a while it starts to make you wonder—to second guess yourself and you can't afford that sort of indecision in my business—in music. Or maybe it's the world of music that feeds the need to hide from emotion too because you can blame the press for anything—using them as an excuse for not doing something you know is worth the risk. I guess if we're going to be so frank with one another, I'd tell you that the man I loved—well…my heart was blinded by him. I feel like I disappointed him somehow, and that can't be true. But that's just the way he left it, and I won't let myself feel that way. He changed my life and all of my goals when we met the first time because after that it became about pleasing him. Maybe him leaving made me realize that sometimes it's about pleasing myself. I'm a dreamer—always have been. You can't break the spirit of a dreamer. Music was here before him. It'll be here after him, but it becomes sadder somehow—you relate more to anger and grief. I guess that's what a broken heart feels like. Wow, I think that's the first time I ever admitted I cared enough for him to let him break my heart. Strange how we weren't even together either. I should go now. I feel like I need to end this on a lighter note or something and say I have a fascination with double cheeseburgers and old eighties movies (laugh). Nothing more philosophical than a movie like sixteen candles or St. Elmo's Fire right? Good day to you, master. From the puppet._**

_**--puppetonastring**_

Logging off, I leaned back in the computer chair letting the emotions that I felt now roll off of me like an avalanche. Being brutally honest had lightened me somehow—made me feel like taking the world by the horns and riding it like a bull for much longer than the designated eight seconds. Yeah, it made me fuller. Standing up, I grabbed my keys and kicked Mason to wake him up before rushing out the door. Darius was going to kill me. I was late.


	6. Chapter 6

**_Tommy…_**

Tommy stood up from the edge of the bed where he now sat—running his fingers through his unkempt hair and over the raw feel of his unshaven jaw before staring at the computer. He had a court case to go to today—had a full schedule ahead of him including a few family get togethers. He was not looking forward to the one he had at the end of the month. The entire Castova family would be getting together in one lethal band. It would be like facing the guillotine during the French Revolution. Actually, he'd rather have his head cut off. He logged on to the computer before pulling a shirt quickly over his head down over the tight ridges of his stomach before signing on. There was a message waiting and he clicked on it—reading it slowly before staring up at the wall of his current room. Wow! It was like reading someone's soul if that were possible. She had bared it all—had revealed enough to let him know that she was philosophical and determined. Her mature view of the world astounded him—even humbled him. He typed cautiously.

**_Second guessing yourself is something we all do—some of us more than others. I find myself doing that more and more lately. You'd hate me in real life. I'm the guy that walked away—the one that probably hurt the girl I left as deeply as the man who left you hurt your heart. The damage is done. I can't repair it now. Or at least I don't feel like I can. That thought pains me._**

Tommy paused for a moment as if unsure he wanted to go on.

**_My sister died. Strange how death affects lives—the grim reaper that comes and swiftly denotes whose time it is to go—leaving everyone else wondering what the hell happened. How are we supposed to pick up those pieces and put them back together again? How are we supposed to know where the puzzle pieces go? I find the feeling cold. The first few days I was home, I looked for women and alcohol—losing myself in both of their warmths only because death is so cold and I hate the cold. Do you see the world through troubled eyes? It seems you do. On that lighter note of yours, I am sitting here picturing myself outside somewhere racing my motorcycle through the streets or working on my car while listening to the classics. Nothing de-stresses me more. To the puppet from the master._**

**_--Puppetmaster_**

Tommy logged off before pushing away from the desk—heading toward his shower while imagining what the girl from the computer was up to right now—wondering if she was as fascinated by him as he was by her. If only he knew that she was wondering the same thing right at that very moment.


	7. Chapter 7

**_A few weeks later…_**

I sat down at the computer again while watching Mason try to put together a new gadget he had bought only to have it all come crashing down to his feet. I just laughed.

"I think you can give up on that. Call a professional." I announced with a chuckle as he just threw me a glare.

"You just write Lover Boy and give me some space Harrison. Tell him hi for me." Mason quipped as he turned back to the task at hand. I had only one thing in mind. The same thing I had been obsessing over for weeks as I sat every night in front of my computer talking to 'him.' We discussed everything from our views on which musicians were better to why Orange County Chopper was decidedly one of the best shows on earth—at least to him. I had quickly learned that he was a sports utility kind of man with a love for Italian food and a passion for speed. He quickly learned I was a rocker at heart with a passion for pajamas, cheeseburgers, and absurd comments or ideas. I shook my head at Mason as I logged on only to stare at the message in front of me with disbelief. I dropped the cup I was holding in my hand to the ground unceremoniously—watching Mason dive for it in vain—not making it in time to save the carpet from the stain that now inhabited it.

"What the hell, Harrison?" Mason asked as I just continued to gape. Mason leaned over my shoulder and whistled.

"Wow! What are up going to do?" He asked as I sat back in the chair—perusing the screen one last time:

_**I've almost tied things up here at home. But I have one more thing I have to attend. It's the family reunion from hell. I'm living in Montana. How would you feel about going with me? It took me three hours just to type that one sentence—I have hesitated above the keys trying to decide if this was just a stupid idea. I'm not a rash man so I'm not sure about this whole decision on my part. Actually, I'm not sure I've even thought this through. I guess I'll let you decide Ms. puppetonastring. It's still a week from now. We have plenty of time to discuss it. From the master.**_

_**--puppetmaster**_


	8. Chapter 8

"Oh my God!" I finally exclaimed as Mason just leaned back against the desk with a bemused expression etched across his features. Something told me he wasn't going to be much help when it came to making a decision.

"Going or not going? That is the question?" Mason asked sardonically in his best Shakespearean imitation. I couldn't help but laugh at him despite my quandary. I had grown attached to the guy online over the past couple of weeks. I could probably even tell you which brand underwear he wore if it came down to it, but to meet him face to face? Wouldn't that break the illusion—rid us of the need we seemed to have to just talk to someone not affiliated with us both. I sighed.

"I'm not going by myself." I finally stated simply while looking over at Mason with a raised, knowing brow. He shook his head vehemently as I let myself grin wickedly over at him.

"Don't make me beg, Mason. You know you want to go." I remarked with a shrug as he groaned. He just nodded in defeat as I poked my lower lip out at him. Begging always worked with him. He was a wimp and he knew it.

"Well, you might as well let him know." Mason said with a sigh as he moved away from the computer so I could sit down in front of it. I took a deep breath before typing.

_**Montana huh? I suddenly envision cowboys and long nights spent around a campfire eating melting marshmallows. I don't guess I could say no to that thought. But, I'm like you, I'm not so sure how I feel about it either. Would it be okay if I brought a friend? If you just give me the airport and the destination, I can let you know when I'll arrive there. And, don't argue price with me master, I'm perfectly capable of handling that myself. I could probably use the vacation. My thoughts have been haunting me lately more than usual. And my writer's block intrudes once again. So, I guess I'm saying yes. From the puppet to the master.**_

_**--puppetonastring**_

I typed with trepidation before glancing up at Mason who grinned at me cheekily.

"I smell romance in the air." Mason quipped as I threw him a scathing look before grabbing a pillow off the couch and throwing it at his head. He just laughed as my computer dinged at me. The guy was online which meant I could switch to Instant Messenger.

_**I'm glad to see you're going to come. I wasn't sure about asking at the time, but now that I've had time to think about it, it seems right. I see no problem with you bringing a friend. I'd do the same in your position. Sounds like work has been hard on you. I finally managed to finish the paperwork on my niece. She now legally belongs to her grandparents—my parents. It was a long drawn out process and I feel drained by it. I won't lie and say I didn't indulge a little in a bottle of Brandy a friend gave me last night. The burn felt good, and it brought back memories too of a time when that's all my life was—touring, women, drinking, carousing--when my reputation was based on what kind of bad boy I could be. Strange how most people view that as sexy. I find it lonely and sad.**_

_**--puppetmaster**_

I read over the words quickly while a strange feeling settled into my limbs. He just seemed so familiar to me—like the way I had always envisioned Tommy. I had always seen Tom's past as a picture in my head—entering hotel rooms with unknown women—leaving them the next morning for another tour destination. It had always seemed liked such a cold thing for him to do. Now, I saw it as a way to try to ease a loneliness that wouldn't go away. In my fantasies, I always tended to make one of those unknown women into myself. He hadn't slept with me. No, but he had taken my heart with him when he left, and I couldn't help but wonder what it was like to be with him that way. I just couldn't help it.

_**Do you remember any of the women you were with or were they just a way to get through the nights? It seems a strange question to ask, I know. It just…I can't help but wonder about it.**_

_**--puppetonastring**_

I stared at the computer for a long time thinking that he wouldn't answer—thinking that I had probably probed too deeply. But then the computer dinged and I edged closer to the Instant Messenger.

_**I won't lie and say I remember them all—hell most of them were just groupies trying to claim a little fame, but I also won't lie and say I didn't feel a sort of regret every morning for leaving them after what we shared together. I was the cold one by allowing it to happen. I truly look forward to meeting you puppet. **_

_**--puppetmaster**_

I perused the words curiously feeling almost saddened and comforted by them both. I guess I'd get the chance to meet the guy that had made me laugh and think so deeply over the past half month. Was I ready yet to shed the image I had become behind my pen name?

"Should we pack sunscreen or long sleeve shirts?" Mason asked from behind me as I turned to find him standing over two open suitcases. I just laughed. Mason could do that—make me feel great about a decision even when I was unsure about it. Taking him with me also got me past the 'you're seventeen' eagle eyes that belonged to Darius and my family despite the fact that Sadie was sneaking out on her own by the time she was sixteen. I could at least say that I was going somewhere with Mason for a short holiday. Having a gay friend deleted all other questions. Montana here we come.


	9. Chapter 9

**_Several days later…_**

**_Tommy…_**

"I'll be back in a little bit." Tommy stated simply as he edged past his family toward the door with his keys gripped tightly in his hands. He hated when they all ganged up on him like this—taking residence in his Montana home as if he hadn't purchased it just so he wouldn't have to stay with his parents.

"You're not engaged, are you?" His grandmother asked as he rolled his eyes. When had 'I have a friend coming to visit' become 'I have a fiancé coming to meet the family?' But that's the way his family worked. They tended to misinterpret things just for their own amusement—as if his life wasn't full of enough juicy tidbits to keep them gossiping for a lifetime. Mix his Italian relatives and his French relations and you had a bomb ready to explode.

"She's been talking a lot with him over their emails." His sister, Maddie, inserted into the conversation as if she were the authority on all things that went on inside his bachelor pad. Tommy just shook his head and sighed before heading out the door towards the truck he had been driving lately. At least it was not raining outside.

"Just don't have me married with grandchildren, a dog, and a little white picket fence by the time I get back, would you?" He threw over his shoulder as he went. His brother chuckled as his mother fanned her face with her hands as if she were about to faint. They loved to aggravate him with their dramatics. He could already hear his mother quoting her favorite lines from 'Gone with the Wind.' Tom couldn't help it. He grinned as he turned back toward them only long enough to shout.

"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!" He uttered as the rest of the family laughed. Yep, bless his little puppet's heart. He was about to drag her into the eye of a hurricane.

* * *

**_Jude…_**

The airport seemed cramped as I shoved through the crowds insistently—feeling Mason move along beside me with unbridled curiosity. We had flown into Montana only five minutes ago and I was antsy to the point of feeling jittery. Mason had to keep stomping on my toes to keep me from hyperventilating.

"We should just go now. This was a very bad idea." I exclaimed weakly as Mason pinched me harshly between the shoulders. Damn, the boy was being fierce.

"I finally get in a state where wearing my cowboy hat is as much a fashion icon as it is a statement and you want me to turn around. Nope, don't think so sweetheart. Now, let's find lover boy and get on with this." Mason grumbled as I took in a deep breath. Too bad planes couldn't turn around in mid-air. I needed the call button for Batman or something. Anything would work right now. God, this was such a stupid, stupid idea. Mason suddenly stumbled next to me, and I had to grab onto his arm to keep us both from falling as he choked on his own breath. What was wrong with him? I patted him on the back to help him with his coughing fit.

"Are you alright?" I hissed as he pointed shakily over at the edge of the crowd. I looked up with trepidation only to feel my whole world crash down at my feet. It wasn't. It couldn't be. Oh, but it was. Tom Quincy in the flesh like a figure that had just arisen from the grave to haunt me. I almost tripped as I stared at him. Oh my God! A thought hit me, and it almost made me fall to my knees. He couldn't be the one. But it did make sense didn't it? It also made my heart go cold. Of all people.

"You need to do something, Jude. Anything. Okay, breathing would be really good right now." Mason uttered as I finally took in a deep breath before stumbling forward. I would not let this get to me. It was too late to turn back now—too late to pretend that Tom didn't mean more to me now that I knew all of those things about him because the truth was he did mean more to me after our talks than he had before when I had just been infatuated by my producer. Jesus! Life could just be plain cruel. I walked over to him slowly—edging behind him enough that he wouldn't see my approach. I stared at him a moment as I stood behind his casual stance. He exuded power, and I watched as several women glanced at him when they walked by. He could take any one of them home that he wanted to. I wonder how he would feel when he found out it was me.

"Tom." I whispered as I watched his posture stiffen. I guess it was a good thing he hadn't forgotten my voice. And I could have sworn he quoted something from that Clarke Gable Movie Gone with the Wind as he slowly turned around.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Hey guys! And Good morning. Today is already looking up. The swelling in my cheeks have gone down and I am on a rapid road to recovery. Yay! Now, if I can manage to eat something other than Jell-O today, I'm going to start doing a little jig. I am so very glad that you guys keep staying with my stories. And I hope you enjoy today's updates as well. You guys are truly something. And a congrats to KiTeH for doing well on her Oral Examinations. Yay! That excited me. And anyone who does well always deserves a shout out. And Well wishes to SmileOn who is now sharing my tooth pain woes. Yeah, having teeth cut out bites--literally (lol). You guys are fantastic. Oh, and Tommy4Eva, how's that sunburn coming? I love that you guys share those things with me. Right now, for example, I am sitting here in front of my computer with a heat pack on my cheek while cursing the cinnamon roll that has been taunting me all morning. Lots of smiles and hugs to you all. Please R&R. Angel422**

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"Jude?" Tommy whispered as he turned to face me fully. I just shrugged nonchalantly—trying my damndest to keep from reaching up and slapping him. I suddenly needed one of those drinks he was always talking about.

"Hope you weren't expecting Halle Berry or some equally stunning woman." I stated flatly—watching as a million different expressions flitted across his face before he finally seemed to find his voice.

"Jesus!" He exclaimed as he ran a hand haphazardly through his hair. He was just as stunned as I was about the whole thing, but I could tell it made some sort of sick sense even to him. I ran a hand down along the front of my shirt.

"Not the last time I checked, but we could always take me out on a lake somewhere and see if I can walk on water." I replied with a small smile as he shook his head at my inane comment. Hey, at least the idea amused me. The sudden silence between us made me uncomfortable, and I took an even step backward until my back met up with Mason's chest.

"There's a flight back to Canada that leaves in twenty minutes. Say the word and we can be on it." I said in a low tone—nodding to Mason when Tommy didn't say anything. Mason nodded back and we both turned to head back towards the terminal determinedly only to have Tommy grab me suddenly by the arm. He sighed as I looked back at him over my shoulder.

"No, I want you to stay. Just because I now suddenly know the person behind the handle doesn't change the invitation." Tommy remarked as I looked over at him silently.

"Doesn't it?" I asked almost in a whisper as he sighed again. I could tell he was just as tormented by the idea as I was—maybe more so. We had shared a lot through those back and forth messages—had basically bared our souls. It wasn't easy confronting that fact. I pushed his hand off of my arm.

"I'm making it easy on you, Quincy. I'm giving you the option of letting me just walk away." I stated simply before shrugging at his bland expression. He seemed determined to make this complicated. He finally motioned for us to follow him.

"Come on, Harrison. You may wish you had boarded that plane by the time this week is over. Hell, I'm probably going to wish I had boarded it with you. And welcome to Montana, Mason. I don't think you're going to find it too hard blending in." Tommy remarked wryly as I raised a brow at his tone. Something told me this was going to be an interesting trip. I walked between the two men silently—grabbing my luggage from the baggage claim area before following Tommy out to the truck he was driving. Tommy in a truck? I tapped the hood of the vehicle insistently

"This is kind of sexy, Quincy. Tell me you can rope a calf, and I might even swoon at your feet." I stated on a small laugh as Tommy just threw me an amused look. He opened the passenger side door—leaning over to whisper in my ear as he helped me in.

"You know what they say about cowboys, Harrison. We ride 'em hard, we ride 'em fast, and we try our damndest to hold on for longer than eight seconds. Trust me when I say I've been able to hold on long enough to make the cow beg for mercy." Tommy insinuated as I tried not to gasp at his remark. He was doing it to rile me—to put distance between us, but I just gritted my teeth and smiled. He had another thing coming if he thought that sexual innuendos would scare me off. He was the scared one—the one running away from the obvious. There may be a seven year age difference between us, but that didn't make me inexperienced—forgetting the fact that I am inexperienced but shhh, he didn't have to know that.

"I don't guess you've been milking the right cow then." I stated simply as he crawled into the driver's seat. I saw his lips quirk at the comment and I knew then that he realized I was up to playing whatever game he had in store for me.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: And here I am with more new chapters for this story. Yay! I hope that you guys enjoy and just to check up on a few--how's your sunburn Tommy4Eva, Your stomach feeling any better JackJackio? I hope so. Lots of love to you guys and I hope to hear from you all soon. Smiles. Angel422

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"So, you guys up for some Q&A because I find this incessant need to discover a little more about Tom's family here?" Mason asked cheerfully as Tommy threw me a sideways look. I couldn't help but hide a grin as I looked over my shoulder at Mason knowingly. He was genuinely excited about this trip.

"Don't let him go all Brokeback Mountain on you, Quince. He's fishing to see if you've got any hot male relatives inclined to dance the dance of love." I stated on a small smile as Tommy suddenly swerved the truck off the road before peering in astonishment at Mason through the rearview mirror. Mason just shrugged before grinning.

"Dear God, I've managed to invite the circus to town." Tommy commented under his breath as he realized what that implied while I leaned over to switch his heater up. Montana was one cold son of a gun during the winter. Tommy leaned over to turn it back down, andI pouted over at him.

"Either give up the leather jacket buster or let me control the heater. Choices, choices." I remarked as I turned the heater back up once again. He just sighed before settling back into the driver's seat—staring out his window as if his thoughts were as tempestuous as the weather. I couldn't help but feel the need to make him feel better—hell, to make myself feel better about discovering that we had been talking to each other this whole time—relying on each other's strengths to make it through the hard times we had endured over the last couple of months since he had first disappeared. It made it hard for me to hate him.

"I brought you something." I told him quietly as Tom glanced over at me suddenly in surprise. I just shrugged as I leaned over and grabbed something out of the duffel bag at my feet. I couldn't help but hide a grin as I handed it to him—watching him open the brown paper bag one handed only to laugh when he pulled out a small model of a Harley Davidson limited edition bike. He chuckled as he set it down on his dashboard.

"That's just something for you to go by when you have yours specialty made." I replied with a small smile as he shook his head in fond amusement.

"You're one of a kind, Jude Harrison—a freak novelty of nature." He remarked as I listened to Mason laugh in the back seat. I just grimaced. Was that a compliment or an insult?

"I'm going to take that as a compliment, master." I replied as Mason continued to snicker while Tommy just stared over at me a moment quietly—glancing out his window at a house that suddenly materialized in the distance. Smoke curled up out of the two-story monstrosity—reaching its warm, gray fingers into the icy sky as Tommy turned into the drive, and I flinched at the amount of cars that littered the lawn. Tom wasn't kidding when he had said family reunion.

"Are all of these people staying here?" I asked him quietly as Tom patted me suddenly on the knee as if that was some innate way to comfort me. It did nothing.

"Hell, no with an exaggeration on the _no_. But they all tend to think that I am their family makeover project—the one that still needs direction. I think they just enjoy the way it aggravates the stew out of me. Buckle yourself in for the ride, puppet, because they've got an entire itinerary planned out." Tommy stated with a small, snide smile. I could practically feel Mason rubbing his hands together in anticipation as I groaned. Was the option to fly back to Canada still open?


	12. Chapter 12

"Ahhh and the prodigal son returns." A female voice exclaimed as we exited the truck before moving toward the house. Tom just rolled his eyes as Mason smirked. Prodigal son? Either these people didn't read a tabloid or they thought the compliment would irk the guy. I was going for the irk initiative.

"Another couple of points on my IQ and you might discover you birthed Einstein, Mere. It doesn't take much to be a genius. The genius is in not knowing you are smart to begin with. That way you don't have anything to live up to." Tommy remarked as I covered up a laugh with my hand. Okay, I probably wasn't scoring points by chuckling at Tommy's reply, but he had a point. The lady stared over at me with interest before narrowing her eyes. Yep, here it came—the bug underneath the magnifying glass ordeal.

"And you are?" The pretty brunette, diminutive woman asked as I smiled sweetly before offering her my hand.

"Jude Harrison." I announced stoically as Mason moved up beside me. "And this is my friend, Mason Fox." I finished with a bright smile as the lady perused us critically. I hope she wasn't staring hard enough to notice the coffee stains on my t-shirt or the fact that Mason and I had been traveling long enough I probably needed to freshen up a bit or at least brush my teeth. Yeah, that's just what I needed.

"Don't I know yo…?" The woman began as Tommy cut in suddenly with brusque force as if he wasn't sure he liked where the conversation was going. I looked at him strangely—disconcerted by the interruption.

"She's the artist I was working with in Toronto, Mere. Jude, this is my mother, Catalina Romano." He intercepted as Catalina perused him curiously. I'm guessing that they were expecting something more than a musician.

"And here, little Maddie had us thinking you were an item or something." Catalina stated cheerfully as a little girl of about ten stuck her head out from behind her mother. She winked at me then. The mischievous little demon winked at me! I couldn't help but grin. Something told me she had her own hand in getting me here to Montana. A thought niggled at the edge of my brain and I almost laughed. I couldn't help but wonder if little Maddie was the Madalyn called '_little nymph'_ that visited my "My Space" Page. Something told me she was.

"We're not an item." Tommy said suddenly as I stared hard at the frozen ground. I could literally feel my heart fall through my chest right through my rib cage and into the cold dirt below as if it were nothing more than a fine piece of china. The man had a habit of doing that—making you feel good about something and then dashing your hopes. I felt Mason's hand creep sympathetically onto my back. Fine, if Tommy didn't want to be an item—I'd give him the antithesis of that! I smiled through gritted teeth.

"No, I'm the artist from hell. Nice to meet you." I remarked suddenly as Mason gasped before choking on a cough beside me. I saw Tommy wince and I grinned wider. Tom's mother just raised a brow before staring between the two of us with new interest.

"Well, I guess I can only hope the cold Montana weather will cool you off some then." His mother declared as I just shrugged.

"Yeah, I think everyone's hoping it will, I guess." I replied as I watched the rest of Tommy's family bite their lips to keep from smiling. Tommy might be interested in playing with the dog, but I was determined to give him the wolf and wolves bite. Hopefully my bite carried Rabies as well because I definitely felt like foaming at the mouth.

"Why don't we get you settled?" An older lady asked with a slight Italian accent as I just nodded before following the family inside—leaning over toward Tommy so that I could whisper near his ear.  
"Hello master, meet the puppet. And, guess what? The puppet just learned how to cut her strings."


	13. Chapter 13

"Are you going to be doing that all night because, Jesus Jude, that's going to drive me nuts!" Tommy declared later as I popped another bubble out from between my lips with the piece of Bubblicious bubblegum I had in my mouth. I just raised a brow. Gum had always been his pet peeve, and I was enjoying the fact that I knew that. What did he think I was doing? Chewing it for my health? I heard someone snicker and I looked up just in time to see Tommy's grandmother watching me from across the room. I winked at her and she smiled. Okay, so most of his family liked me. That was good, right? I popped the gum again—watching in amusement as Tommy winced before throwing a pillow at me from off his couch.

"Kitchen now, Jude!" Tommy demanded as I just looked up innocently. His sister, who I had learned _was_ the 'little nymph' from My Space, just tsked as me as I walked by.

"Ohhhh, you're in trouble." She called out as I crossed my eyes at her—causing her to laugh at my playful attitude. Mason just gave me a '_do you have any idea what you are doing'_ look as I pushed through the doorway into Tommy's kitchen. I could just envision the entire family scrambling over to the door trying to steal grandpa's hearing aid so that they could hear what was going on. I smiled at the thought. It made me wish my family was still together that way, although I couldn't envision grams doing anything other than sleep.

"Are you deliberately trying to annoy me, Jude, or is this some twisted idea of a game to you because let me tell you, girl, I've always hated games." Tommy bit out fiercely as I just shrugged before shaking my head.

"Have you really, Tom, or do you just hate the games you aren't winning because the way I see it, you have a tendency to play whoever comes into your life." I declared firmly as Tommy stared at me a moment while I could have sworn I heard someone from the other side of the door mutter 'you go girl!' I'm guessing it was score one for the Harrison team. Tom sighed as I popped another bubble, and I knew I was in trouble when he advanced on me from across the room—storming in a way that made him look like an army advancing on its enemy. It should have intimidated me, but it only made my blood boil. I guess it was a good thing that I was angry too because anger made me fearless. He backed me up against his kitchen wall—placing a steady hand on each side of my head.

"Are you prepared for this game then, Jude?" He asked almost in a whisper as I watched the silent battle he was fighting with himself shine throughout his eyes. I just raised a brow as tapped him insistently on the chest. I could tell he was afraid. His emails had opened me up to the man, and I knew that the age difference and the fact that I was his artist and protégé bothered him. Well, sometimes the student can teach the instructor, and this student was done learning.

"Are _you_?" I asked in return as his eyes darkened before his lips came dangerously close to mine. Sometimes sampling the forbidden fruit could be so sweet. I closed my eyes in anticipation only to have the kitchen door burst open as Tommy's mother walked cheerfully through. "Coffee anyone?" Catalina asked with a grin as she moved toward Tommy's coffee pot. Tom sighed before closing his eyes and backing away. I just took a deep, fortifying breath—trying to calm the now erratic beat of my heart. I knew he was using his mother's interruption to retreat back into himself because I could see his newly veiled disguise fall into place. I guess that was point one for the Quincy team. I needed to get the ball back in my court.


	14. Chapter 14

Tommy looked over at me as his mother filled the coffee carafe and I couldn't do anything but stare back despite the little voice in my head that told me I should look away. There was something unreadable there—something that piqued my interest despite the fact that it shouldn't. Catalina looked over at us—noticing the tension and she shook her head as she walked back by, making sure she bumped into Tommy as she went. I could see him grimace. I'm guessing that she intended to be the one that grounded Tommy—that kept his thoughts from straying when he felt they shouldn't. Damn this whole charade!

"We talked about a lot of things online, Tom. Do you remember? But there was one question I asked you one night that you didn't answer. I'd be interested to know what you thought. Do you remember? I asked you if you believed in love at first sight?" I asked Tommy in a low tone as Catalina almost gasped perceptibly just as she was opening the kitchen door. Tommy didn't even flinch. He just met my gaze levelly.

"Depends on what you mean by love, Jude?" He asked as I sauntered over towards him—ignoring the fact that half the other room was exposed to us now. This was about Tommy and I. We had been dancing around this issue since that first kiss on my sixteenth birthday a year ago. I still wasn't legal—that hadn't changed but I had. And I could tell that he was beginning to too.

"Well, I'll give it to you straight then, Quincy. I don't believe in love at first sight. I believe in lust at first sight—attraction at the first moment of meeting that enables us to want to know someone better. I believe that real love has to be earned. Hell…" I started as Tommy placed his hand over my mouth before pulling me behind him towards another room. I could hear his mother about to say something but he ignored her—shoving me into a hallway before backing me into the wall and pressing his face close to mine.

"What are you saying, Jude? That you have lustful thoughts—that you're afraid you might be hiding behind lust because I can dispel that idea if you want. You might want to start fearing where lust can take you because let me tell you—it's one hell of a ride." He hissed as his lips came crushing suddenly down onto mine—seeking it seemed for some sort of answer to his own question. I groaned as he roughly plunged his tongue into my mouth—tasting him the way I had wanted to—the way I had dreamed about before and after he left. I couldn't do anything but ride the waves of sensation—to cling to the front of his shirt as he pressed me into the wall. I could hear him growl in the back of his throat as his hands pressed suddenly against my hips—pulling me to him hard enough it was as if he had been trying not to do this for years—as if he were a man lost in a desert starving for a drink of water. I almost sighed at the feeling—finding myself bringing my hands up suddenly to rest in his hair as he started to lift me up only to be interrupted by a loud clearing of the throat from behind us. We jerked away from each other—breathing deeply as our eyes met suddenly with Mason's at the end of the hall.

"I think, but I'm not absolutely positive that your family just sent me as some sort of chaperone because let me tell you that nonna of yours is practically holding your mother back from entering this part of the house." Mason stated frankly as Tommy groaned before walking away from me—only allowing one more glance in my direction as he went. It spoke volumes. Something told me Tom was erecting barriers made out of sand because I could see them shift slightly, but I couldn't help but wonder if I shouldn't have been so forward—if maybe I should be afraid he would want to forget the whole event. Hell, maybe I should just be glad I had gotten that kiss because my body still burned—still craved the touch that was no longer there. It's incredible how quickly your own body can become your enemy—wanting things that your heart fights against. I was hoping that my heart would loose the battle even though my head was telling me that I shouldn't let him win.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: Ahhhh! This story is fast becoming one of my favorites to write on. Let me know what you guys think. And the song in the next chapter is mine. Read it. I am dying to know what you guys think of the lyrics because they just floored me as I wrote them. Smiles!_

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**_Tommy…_**

"You're…." Tom's mother began as he entered the kitchen where she now stood only to have him interrupt her as he slammed an empty cup into his kitchen sink. Thank God it was plastic.

"Don't." He answered her unasked question stealthily as she planted her hands on her hips and approached him steadily. She was as stubborn as her son.

"You're…" She began again as he threw another dish into the sink before turning toward her with a frown.

"I said don't. Just don't. I already know all the arguments—all the play by plays on anything you can throw at me. Hell, I've argued myself into an entire bottle of whiskey and four packs of cigarettes in a single sitting. So don't go spouting off about why the hell you may be wondering what may be going on between me and my artist or about how she's just a child because I will break something, Mere. I'm not in the mood." He almost yelled as Catalina just shrugged before looking up at the cabinet.

"I was just going to ask where you keep your cream and sugar, but just like the way you did when you were a boy, you were always good about spilling too much information. At least now I know where you stand on this, son." Catalina forced out between her suddenly smiling lips as Tommy leaned heavily against his counter—clenching and unclenching his fists as he remembered his Jude moment in the hallway. And yeah, he had started thinking of her that way—a moment—a weakness like candy when your sweet tooth beckons. His mother just watched him a moment—noting the strain around his eyes before turning to walk back toward the living room. He followed her—grabbing her suddenly by the shoulder as she started to open the door.

"It's wrong isn't it? I'm perverted right? Just tell me it's wrong." He almost pleaded with her as she let go of the door long enough to run her hand along his jaw—amazed at the afternoon shadow that grazed her palm. He had grown so much.

"Maybe you should start asking yourself different questions, Thomas. Something along the lines of whether or not it's right. Because nothing is ever truly wrong until you make it that way. I don't know yet myself how I feel about it. Maybe time will tell." She answered vaguely as Tommy just shook his head slowly.

"Why can't you ever just speak in English?" He complained as she just smiled before pushing open the door.

"Because then I wouldn't have so much fun watching you try to figure out what I meant." She replied as a sudden pounding noise reverberated throughout the house. Everyone in the living room looked up in surprise.

"Got you a little firecracker in that artist of yours, don't you brother?" Tom's brother Matthew asked him in obvious amusement as another pounding sound echoed throughout the room again. Matthew quirked a brow. Yeah, Matthew and Thomas….so Catalina was Catholic. She felt compelled to name her sons after what Jesus referred to as the 'fisher's of men.' Tom grabbed onto the wall until his knuckles turned white as the pounding noise happened again. Jude!


	16. Chapter 16

**_Jude…_**

I almost hit the wall out of frustration as Mason approached me from the end of the hall, and I finally ended up grabbing Mason by the collar of his shirt before stuffing my face into the soft tan fabric—screaming at the top of my lungs against his chest as he patted my back awkwardly. This was driving me insane! I stared at the small wet spot left on Mason's shirt from my temporary break down as I backed away from him before kicking the wall just hard enough to make me feel better. I heard Tommy growl from two rooms away.

"If you break anything in my house, Jude Harrison, I'm sending you the check in the mail!" He declared as I kicked the wall harder. Yeah, okay so that didn't make me feel better, but the scowl I knew was on Tom's face right now just brightened my entire friggin' day. Mason just stood there before exhaling slowly.

"Okay…wow! If I didn't just walk in on MTV Award's steamiest kiss moment. And what the hell was that—one minute the two of you are kissing and then tearing down drywall. Should I call Bedlam? I'm sure they have just enough rooms to admit more than one case of insanity." Mason remarked as I threw him a scathing look.

"I love you, Fox, but bite me." I replied as I stomped down the hall toward the room Tommy had shown us into earlier. My suitcase was on the bed and I shoved it—hard—onto the floor before kicking the wall again. Lustful thoughts indeed! Ughhhhh! I turned the suitcase over—watching absent-mindedly as the contents were strewn across the floor—littering the soft brown carpet in the room with everything from my underwear to a tube of toothpaste before picking up an armload and just vaulting it up into the air, watching as one of my bras fell over the corner of the slightly open door while everything else just fell haphazardly into spots that fitted perfectly with my mood. They fell in discord—yep discord. I dragged my guitar from the corner—dragging it across the floor slowly just about to lift it up and slam it down when the anger left me—leaving me limp and drained as I sat down on the edge of the coverlet while bringing my guitar to rest softly against my lap. I strummed at it absently a moment—playing with the chords as I shook my head slowly.

**_He's a disaster—a wreck that brings me to my knees _**

**_Just giving an inch and then taking away a mile _**

**_Well, I'll be damned if I beg or plead…no sir...yes please _**

**_While sitting there with clenched teeth, pretending to smile._**

**_I'd rather take the sword by the hand,  
give you my release _**

**_Swinging it in unhalting demand _**

**_As it crashes with unbending ease._**

**_No sir…yes please, I'm not that timid anymore _**

**_I'll show the world what you taught me _**

**_You haven't seen a storm like me before _**

**_You know what they say about a woman scorned_**

**_Hell hath no fury sir, just watch the devil swoon _**

**_I'll give him his monthly dues _**

**_In fits of tempestuous rage _**

**_Maybe not with fists _**

**_But there's more power on a page _**

**_T_****_he pen is mightier than the sword _**

**_Rest assured I know my chords_**

**_You want power, you want age _**

**_I _****_can't be your twenty-one _**

**_I can't change when I was born _**

**_But I can give you power _**

**_My voice is still my rod _**

**_And I won't spare it._**

**_No sir…yes please, I'm not that timid anymore _**

**_I'll show the world what you taught me _**

**_You haven't seen a storm like me before _**

**_You know what they say about a woman scorned_**

I sang loudly—letting the entire house hear the words as I strummed that last chord roughly and I smiled. Oh hell yeah, I smiled! Damn, but that felt good. I almost wanted to get up and do one of those victory dances you see during football touchdowns.

"Well, never let anyone say I didn't do something right by leaving." Tommy said suddenly from the doorway—standing there as if impressed that he wasn't dead. I just grinned cheekily as he looked over at the bra hanging in front of his face, and I couldn't help it. I stole a line from that movie Stealth.

"Watch out for my B cups."


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note; Here's the next chapter, and thank you all for the great reviews on this story. It is fast becoming a favorite of mine. You guys are so fantastic. You floor me--really you do by your response. Can't wait to update a few more chapters today. Please R&R. Lots of smiles and hugs to you all.**

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"You really know how to flatter a man, you know that Harrison?" Tommy asked as he plucked the bra off the door as if staring at your artist's underwear were nothing more than your average every day occurrence. Yep, your average day alright. Ha! I just shrugged.

"You really know how to piss a woman off, Tom" I stated simply as he just looked over at me strangely a moment—perusing me as if seeing me for the first time—as if he were mentally erasing the fifteen year old girl he had met two years ago.

"You've changed." He finally said as I just laughed at his statement—staring at him as if he had two heads instead of one.

"And now he notices." I said to no one in particular as I threw my hands up into the air. I would have thought he would have figured that out by now just by thinking about what our correspondences had been like over the past couple of months. Kudos for him. He had a brain.

"The scarecrow would be proud." I announced—referring to that movie the Wizard of Oz as Tommy just raised a brow at me as he sighed.

"You're so glib." Tommy stated sardonically as I just grinned up at him.

"So they tell me?" I replied as he just shook his head. I could tell that I had started to make him more than a little angry with my sarcasm, but hey, at this point in the game, I was allowed sarcasm. His expression changed suddenly as he advanced on me from the door way, and I took a step backwards involuntarily.

"Do you love me, Jude, because your posts online seemed to implicated you did…once." He stated simply as I just looked at him—stared into his calculating blue eyes in shock. I could tell he wanted me to say no—that I didn't love him. I think he was just trying to find a way to deal with his own conscious. I couldn't help but laugh and he cringed at the sound.

"Love? What is that exactly Tommy? Because I think…no I _know_, that I'm just not sure myself these days what that definition entails. I did hear a quote once by an author I can't remember that stated, Age does not protect us from love, But love to some extent protects us from age. Take that statement as you will." I replied solemnly before moving around the bed to pick up my suitcase.

"Besides, I seem to remember you saying online, and I quote, that sometimes it takes everything we've got to keep from losing control. Do you want me to ask what you meant by that or just brush the thought under a rug somewhere to fester?" I asked as he flinched. Yeah, that's right Tom, if we were going to start spouting out incriminating things stated in moments of weakness to someone we thought we didn't know, then I could one up him at best.

"You're so naïve, Jude. So innocent. You have no idea what you're talking about." Tommy muttered as I looked up at him in stunned anger. Naïve? Sure honey, just keep telling yourself that. Yeah, and maybe monsters under your bed really do exist. God, I could have spitted on him. I settled for throwing my journal, a gift from him no less, at his head instead. He ducked.

"You're one of a kind, Tom Quincy. Really you are. You are the only person I know who can manage to insult someone or just blatantly avoid the truth to save your own sanity. And in the process, alienate the ones who do care about you. Bows to you because I'm letting you have the stage. You seem to like being the center of it." I commented as I picked up a manila envelope out of the suitcase before going to stand next to him. I shouldn't do this—shouldn't give up my secrets out of anger, but I guess I just didn't care anymore.

"Here's that innocence you're protecting." I stated sarcastically as I threw the package down in front of him on the bed before walking over to the door. "I hope you enjoy the spotlight. After a while, the bulb always burns out." I reiterated as I stomped out of the room. I could hear him picking up the envelope, and I closed my eyes because I knew what he would see—a drunk, vulnerable Jude displayed for curious, prying eyes. Innocence my ass.


	18. Chapter 18

I walked into the living room where Tommy's family was gathered warily—especially knowing that they had all practically played witness to a complete theatrical drama. I looked up at the corner where Mason was sitting in animated conversation with Tommy's grandmother, and the sight made me want to laugh as he looked up at me suddenly. I took a deep breath—asking him silently with my eyes if the room was a hostile one or not, and he shrugged at me as I moved toward him only to stop short when I felt a hand land demandingly on my shoulder—stopping my progress. I turned to find myself staring up into the blue eyes of Tommy's brother, Matthew. He was grinning widely.

"Can I just be the first to welcome you into this little family? I have never seen Tommy so flustered before and it's brilliant, I tell you. Just brilliant! I have never been so entertained in my life. The unflappable Tom Quincy knocked on his ass." Matthew stated smilingly as his mother gasped in the background.

"Matthew!" She exclaimed as the man just shrugged before glancing over his shoulder at Catalina.

"Well, it's true, Mere." He mumbled as he grinned at me once more before moving away. I was too flabbergasted to do anything but stare at his retreating back as Mason closed the rest of the distance between us.

"Why has this day suddenly made me crave a few hours of listening to Elton John songs?" Mason asked as I elbowed him in the stomach. He grunted as he grabbed his middle with a grimace—noticing the grave expression on my face as he did.

"Oh, Jesus! What have you done now, Jude?" Mason asked as I flinched. Done? If only he knew.

"Jude!" A voice bellowed from the hallway as the entire living room grew quiet around us. Mason raised his eyebrows at me as I smiled sheepishly up in his direction.

"I may have let Tommy see those pictures I received in the mail a month or so ago." I replied quietly as Mason sucked in a deep breath. Yeah…smart idea, I know. Mason shook his head vehemently.

"You have a death wish, Jude Harrison. Seriously, what in the hell possessed you to do that? Did you even tell him that the issue had been resolved?" Mason asked as I shook my head. He sighed.

"God, I need therapy or a couple of hours at a good gay bar." Mason muttered as I rolled my eyes up at him. Tommy's stomping became more insistent as he suddenly rounded the corner of the room while carrying two motorcycle helmets in his hands.

"Jude Smartass Harrison, you're coming with me." Tommy stated simply as he handed me one of the helmets. I heard Catalina moving restlessly from across the room as Mason winced. Several of Tom's family members started to speak up, but Tommy just shook his head and pointed at them one at a time.

"No…uh uh….not now…maybe later….and don't start." He finished before pointing at me and then at the door. Was he seriously commanding me to leave this house? The little bastard! Anger felt better than lust because it kept my thoughts grounded.

"Hah! Who do you think…?" I began as Tommy placed his hand over my mouth and pulled me toward the door.

"Your producer." He stated simply as we moved through the opening. I bit his palm. It still didn't make him move.

"Yep, he's lost it." Matthew murmured from the living room as Mason grunted in agreement. Lost it? Oh hell!


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note: Oh my God! First off, the amount of reviews on my last posts were amazing and second I had SO much fun writing this next chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it as I much as I did playing it out on paper. You guys are my muses, seriously!. Smiles and hugs to you all. Enjoy and R&R!**

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"Ex-Producer!" I finally spat out as he removed his hand only long enough to shove the helmet down on top of my head once we got outside. I pulled it back off hurriedly.

"You have some nerve!" I yelled as he pointed to the seat behind him on the bike. I just kicked the tire in the back—hard—as he stood up to grab me around the waist—shoving me into the seat as I kicked and screamed at him. His face remained expressionless.

"Just shut up, Jude. It really isn't that hard to do—you compress your lips into a thin firm line and clamp down. Try it." He remarked wryly as I mumbled something about jack asses while he twisted around to put my helmet back on again.

"Now, hold on." He commented as he kicked his foot down—starting up the bike with firm resolve before picking his legs up and driving off. The wind hit me wildly in the face even through the helmet and I knew it was pointless to talk. The air would just carry it away to some other distant location. God, I loathed him right now! I hit him slightly on the back as he drove, and I felt him tense as the landscape started to change around us—dissolving from the flatter meadows to rockier ledges, and I narrowed my eyes as Tommy pulled off the road—kicking up dirt as he drove now into a large area made up of large empty buildings and lined with rocks. A cliff edged the picturesque location and that's where Tommy decided to pull to a stop. As soon as the roaring from the bike was gone, I jerked off my helmet and threw it to the ground.

"Not planning on throwing me over are you?" I asked sarcastically as Tommy shrugged.

"I wouldn't ask that question right now, Jude Harrison. I might find myself tempted to do just that." Tommy grumbled as I stared at him incredulously. What the hell were we doing here? He climbed off slowly—meticulously taking his helmet off and hanging it onto the handle of his bike before doing the same with mine, now lying on the ground covered in dust. I made a mental note to shove it off again later. I almost started speaking again until I saw him pull the manila envelope out from the inside of his jacket and I took a deep breath.

"I'm not discussing this with you." I stated flatly as he glanced first down at the pictures and then up at me before walking over to the edge of the cliff. He took out one of the photos and held it over the overhang. I gasped. He dropped it, and I watched as it floated off into the breeze—falling and falling like a dead autumn leaf from a tree.

"That one was for being an idiot and getting drunk in the first place." Tom mumbled as I shook my head when he took out another. He dropped it as well.

"That one is for being one stubborn little rock princess determined to scramble my friggin' brain." Tom muttered as he took out yet another. My knuckles were clenched and my teeth were hurting from the gritting that I was presently practicing with firm resolve.

"This one is for all the times you've managed to snub, disobey, or just plain not listen to a word I say." Tom stated simply as I glanced suddenly at the set of keys he had laid out on the motorcycle seat. They looked oddly familiar and it suddenly clicked into my brain that one of them belonged to his beloved Viper. I leaned over and unhooked it quietly as Tommy pulled out the last picture—letting it glide over the cliff as he opened up his mouth to speak once more. I stomped over and tapped him insistently on the shoulder—interrupting his little speech as he turned to peer over at me.

"You know, Quincy, the more you talk the less I can take. And this…" I remarked with a wry smile as I backed away and lifted the key up inconspicuously over the overhang. "Is for standing me up on the date you made." I remarked as I opened my palm to flash him the key before letting it go.


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note: Oh oh oh...thank you guys so much for your response. It has inspired me! I hope to make this one of many updates today on all of my stories. Hugs and smiles to you and please R&R. Ahhhhh, I heart all of you. I really really do. Hugs. Angel422

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"What the hell was that, Jude Harrison!" Tommy exclaimed as I just shrugged before looking over the side of the cliff while stroking my chin thoughtfully. Hmmm….so small keys had a tendency to float a little on air too.

"**_That_** was therapy." I finally stated simply as I looked back over at him before backing away slightly when I noticed his darkened expression. He was not in a good mood now….nope, he was furious and it felt good to be angry—for both of us.

"You have a twisted sense of psychology, you know that Harrison? Jesus! I'd even let you hit me with one of those foam baseball bats that shrinks seem to favor, but my Viper…" He began as I peered back over the edge again. A small smile flitted across my face.

"You can always go after it." I replied caustically as he stared at me a moment in stunned silence before finally shaking his head as if getting a bearing on his thoughts and emotions. Something seemed to click in his brain, and he kicked a pile of dirt over the cliff before beginning to advance eerily over in my general direction. I backed away again.

"Tommy?" I asked almost uncertainly as he continued to advance on me. I could see the frustration in his gaze as he got closer, and I almost stumbled as I kept edging away.

"I could always send you down there, Jude—you know to fetch it per say." He growled as I grinned—why was I grinning—before shrugging my shoulders and letting my gaze peruse his face almost bitterly.

"Well, you know what they say about dogs. If you act like one, you might as well be treated like one. You wouldn't want a bone now would you?" I asked as Tommy stopped suddenly before clenching his fists and continuing toward me a little faster. I yelped as I turned and ran—heading anywhere as long as it wasn't near him. I could hear the 'thud thud thud' of his shoes as he followed after me, and he was too close for comfort--way too close. The air rushing past my ears almost made me laugh and before long I was chuckling without realizing it. I grabbed a hold of a building post—keeping it between Tommy and I as I turned toward him again while panting from the run—gasping as I tried to catch my breath. Tom stopped across from me as he peered quietly into my face—circling the post as I circled it to stay away from him.

"I ought to throttle you." He ground out as I narrowed my eyes up at him.

"And I out to castrate you." I bit out in return as his jaw dropped open in shock. Okay, _I_ hadn't even expected that to pop out of my mouth either, but I suppose it made sense. I wouldn't be having this problem with him if he wasn't so irresistibly male.

"I ought to throw you over that cliff." He commented after schooling his features as we continued to circle the post. I was beginning to get a little dizzy.

"And I ought to point out to you that sometimes its not about being the bigger person. It's about fighting the good fight." I stated vaguely as he hit the post between us—hard. I didn't even flinch.

"Is this where you remind me of what I really am—where you point out that I've been down to the bottom of every bottle lately trying to drown out the impossible. Damn you, Jude. I ought to make love to you now." He reiterated as I suddenly froze. What had he just said? He had rounded the corner again, but I couldn't move. It was like my feet were planted to the planks beneath my toes.

"What?" I finally asked as Tommy grabbed onto the post—gripping it between his hands until I saw his knuckles turn white. It didn't make me feel any better knowing he was fighting the actions he had just mentioned. Oh my God!

"Don't make me give you a lesson on the birds and the bees right now, Jude. I'm having a hard enough time keeping myself grounded as it is--keeping a reign on my control." He grumbled as I backed up against the wall of the building. My back rested against the dust resolutely as I watched the sun begin to descend behind Tommy's back. I hadn't even been there more than a day yet, and look at where we already stood.

"I hate you." I finally whispered as I placed my hands over my face. It sounded harsher than I meant it—I hated him for doing this to me, for making me burn with equal parts passion and frustration. I couldn't let him near my heart again. He had a habit of launching those over cliffs as well.

"Right now, Jude, I hate myself." Tommy stated in a low tone as he moved toward me again. I closed my eyes. Oh God! Don't touch me. No, _do_ touch me. Aggghhhhh!

"I'm _not_ going to touch you." He finally uttered as I opened my eyes to see him leaning against the wall beside me. He seemed to be trying to convince himself with the statement as much as he was reassuring me. The location suddenly interested me as the anger faded.

"Where are we?" I asked him quietly as he glanced first at me and then at the small buildings surrounding us.

"One of Montana's ghost towns. It was one of the small quarries abandoned during the gold rush." He whispered as if the ghosts of the place could hear us talking now. I nodded before watching the sun turn from a big ball of white matter to a glowing orange orb of fire in the background. Wow!

"Come on, Harrison. We should be getting back before I forget my place." He remarked as he climbed down the steps of the old building before stomping over to his bike.

"I should really make you work to replace that damn key." He bit out as I followed him more slowly—grinning as I remembered his expression when I had dropped it. That had been priceless. I would do a hundred sit ups to see that again—no, a thousand even. Tom climbed onto the seat of his bike and I felt my stomach muscles tighten as I glanced at him in the fading sun. With the ball of orange highlighting his back along with his aviator sun glasses and leather jacket, he looked like a desperado.

"You coming?" He asked as he held my helmet out to me. I just nodded before grabbing the object and climbing onto the seat resolutely behind him—loathing the reaction I had as the front of my body settled against his back. I could see his jaw tense up. I grinned mischievously.

"I'll bet I could give those moaning ghosts a run for their money." I whispered into his ear as he looked down at me before kicking the bike into action. He didn't even worry with his own helmet as I placed mine over my head. No, he seemed to wish we _would _have an accident. Maybe, he needed to feel dangerous right now.

"Just hold on." He muttered as I wrapped my arms around his waist. Those words were beginning to take on a whole new meaning for us both. What the hell did Montana have in store for us?


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I've got a couple of hours before I head back to the hospital so I am going to use it by making up for my little one chapter posts lately (laugh). And, by the way, my sister had a very beautiful baby boy that she named Preston. I am so excited. Also, I went to see that movie Superman Returns on the way home yesterday. I suggest that one and all go see it. It was amazing. Thank you guys so much for hanging in there with me. I enjoy you guys so much and you really are the reason I do this. It's the fun of knowing that you are reading and are entertained. Smiles and hugs to you all, my friends. Please R&R. Angel422.

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**_Tommy…_**

The world rushed by like the blurred corners of a Picasso painting as Tommy sped through the darkening skies toward his Montana estate. He hated himself right now--loathed the fact that he had let her get to him when he knew that she was trying her damndest to rile him in the first place. Damn her! Damn himself! Those pictures would haunt him for a friggin' lifetime. But despite the fact that they had fired his blood—they had been all wrong too because it was Jude being weak. And Jude wasn't weak. She wasn't the kind that bemoaned a situation long. Look at her now. She had gotten herself drunk and mourned for one night and then bounced back to bite him in the ass. She shifted from behind him and he ground his teeth together. If she squeezed her thighs any tighter, he was going to have to pull off to the side of the friggin' road.

"Dammit, Jude, just be still!" He screamed out into the roaring wind as she leaned in close to him and yelled back.

"What?" She cried out as he shook his head. He was in hell. And that thought spurred him on as he pulled back into his driveway—noting the lights that still burned inside. Didn't his family ever go home for God's Sake? There was this thing called sleep. He wished they'd try it. He turned off the bike before letting Jude climb off first from behind him. It made him breathe a little easier. Jude shrugged.

"I'd tell you thank you for the drive, but something tells me that would be inappropriate." Jude commented sarcastically as Tommy threw her a scathing look. So they were back to being angry were they—back to avoiding their feelings by hiding behind this disguise of disagreement. It worked for them somehow.

"I'd serenade you too, but we're missing the whole full moon and climbing the tower scenario. Hmmm..loved Romeo and Juliet though. They managed to kill themselves in the end." Tommy remarked sardonically as Jude scoffed. She kicked at the turf of his lawn—leaving a slight indentation in his well-manicured grass.

"I'd love to hear you sing again, Tommy. Come on. Belt it out!" She replied whimsically as Tommy shook his head. God, that woman! An opening door behind them suddenly flooded the lawn with light.

"You two made it back!" Catalina immediately cried out as she rushed cheerfully into the yard. Tom winced. She had more than likely been peering out the window the whole time. He was surprised she hadn't called the police.

"In one piece too. Imagine that." Tommy declared as Jude bit her lip from beside him to keep from chuckling at the comment. Point one for him. His sister Maddie edged into the space behind Catalina as she licked on a very messy red Popsicle. If she had been on his furniture with that thing….She grinned—showing off her red teeth and tongue as she giggled.

"We're having a big outdoor Bar-B-Q tomorrow evening!" Maddie exclaimed excitedly as Tommy groaned. They never seemed to think he may not **_want_** his house used for family sporting events.

"Mom even invited Isabella and Heather." Maddie continued as Tommy froze. Oh dear God! Izzie and Heather? His mother wouldn't have. Tommy glanced up hurriedly into Catalina's face as she shrugged sheepishly.

"Isabella? Heather?" Jude asked uncertainly from beside him, and Tommy flinched. An angry Jude and two of his ex-girlfriends equaled a major catastrophic event. Maddie grinned even wider.

"Some of Tom's old girlfriends and friends of the family." Maddie retorted on a small, satisfied slurp as she bit off the last of the Popsicle. Tom could practically feel Jude tense up next to him. He closed his eyes and slowly counted to three before grabbing Catalina by the arm and dragging her out into the yard.

"This is not the Dating Game. It is not the Price is Right, and I am not a poker chip to be bargained off, Mere. What is this? Some misguided need of yours for sporadic entertainment." Tommy hissed as Catalina grinned sheepishly.

"I'm guessing you might not like it when I tell you I invited most of the neighborhood then, I take it." She mumbled as Tommy swore. He suddenly felt like Prince Charming at the ball with all the local single women invited to try and win his hand. God! He clenched his teeth together to keep from reaching out and strangling his own mother. He really missed his producer's chair back at G Major Studios right now. Catalina touched him lightly on the arm.

"It'll give you a chance to…" She began as Tommy shook his head.

"Give me a chance to what, Mere? Relax? Put my feet up on a stool somewhere and not do anything? Oh, yeah I feel the peace right now. Let's meditate mother. I think I might even have yoga mats in my storage room courtesy of Izzie no less." Tom said sarcastically as Catalina frowned.

"Now don't get your underwear all twisted, son. It'll be the event of the season. Just wait and see." Catalina replied before patting his back reassuringly. Yeah, the event of the season all right. Welcome to hell—excuse the heat, hope you brought a fan and a couple of gallons of water with you. A rustling sound made Tom look up as Mason joined Jude where she stood now at the open front door. He could have even sworn he heard her say, "Get your combat boots on, my boy, we're off to fight a war," as Mason just glanced down into Jude's face before looking out into the yard.

"I suppose I'd be remiss if I wished for the yellow brick road and the wizard instead?' Mason asked wryly as Jude shoved him into the house. Jude had changed. She wasn't the same anymore, and that terrified Tom because he had no idea what she was capable of. Why did that thought make him need to take a cold shower as well?

"Are you sweating, Tom? It looks like you might be sweating." Maddie asked sweetly as Tommy turned toward her slowly. She backed away a step as she caught a glimpse of his expression.

"Maddie." He growled as she flinched a little at his tone.

"Yeah?" She asked slowly.

"Run." Tommy stated as Maddie squealed.


	22. Chapter 22

**_Jude later that night…_**

A pounding on the door made me sigh in aggravation as the water from the shower cascaded over my shoulders, and I threw a bottle of unopened shampoo at the enclosure—probably 'his' too.

"You've been in that damn shower for an hour, Jude Harrison!" Tommy shouted as I grinned. He was so cute when he was agitated.

"It's not the only bathroom in the house, you know." I answered him caustically as his fist hit the door.

"But it's mine, Jude. This bathroom is mine. Of all the friggin rooms in the house, you had to go in search of this one?" He asked me irritably as I grinned even wider. Yeah, I did.

"It's a bathroom, Tom. You're not phobic about using a facility previously used by someone else are you because Mason's claimed the bathroom right down the hall and he's got a bottle of aromatherapy wash that is to die for?" I retorted wryly as Tommy growled before working suddenly at the knob. I froze underneath the showerhead. What was he doing?

"Tommy?" I asked uneasily as the knob began to turn a little more easily as if the lock had been disengaged. He wouldn't! Oh dear God, he would! We weren't at the studio. I was in his territory now. I shrieked as I grabbed the biggest towel I could find and wrapped it around me just as the door flew open. Tommy's brooding face filled the enclosure.

"Get out!" I yelled at him as he grinned—perusing me in a way he knew would make me uncomfortable before grabbing me by the arm and pulling me into the hallway. By the way that he moved I could tell that he was angry mostly because he didn't seem to care that I was dripping all over his plush floor. I had to grab at the towel as Tommy released me to keep it from falling off.

"Don't make me take you back to the cliff." He warned me as he backed up into the bathroom—slamming the door in my face as he did. Oh the gall of him! I pounded on the now locked door as I heard him begin to undress.When had he learned to pick a lock?

"Go to bed, Jude!" He cried out as I kicked the door—hard. The stubborn little prick….the ungrateful little….The….the…..ugghhhhhhh! The door knob suddenly turned as a bare chested Tommy cracked open the door and held out my undergarments.

"Your size Bs and size fives, my lady." He uttered simply before slamming the door shut again. I had to shove my face into one of my hands to keep from screaming. Why did I suddenly feel so alive? As if this arguing with Tommy was nothing more than foreplay. Oh my god! Did I actually just say foreplay? A thought entered my head as I grinned mischievously at the door. I knocked on the door again.

"Try my body wash, Quincy. It's an Herbal Essence experience." I yelled loudly as I heard something crash to the floor of the shower inside. Ahhhh! The joys of being female. Such power.


	23. Chapter 23

**_Tommy and Mason…_**

The next morning Tommy sat at his kitchen table nursing a cup of coffee while slowly counting to three—praying for the patience he knew he was not blessed with as he listened to Mason chatter incessantly. The boy was like the friggin' energizer bunny! You ask him one question and get him basically wound up and he just kept going and going and going. There were things you wanted to know about people and things you didn't. The fact that Mason liked using Jude's fingernail polish on his toes, now perfectly hidden within his boots, was not one of those things Tommy wanted to know.

"….It's like Jude keeps telling me—'_don't dwell on it so much Mason. If the press were really that interested in your life, then they'd hound you more.'_ But I still can't shake…hey Tommy, are you listening?" Mason asked suddenly as Tommy nodded while closing his eyes and blocking out the sound of Mason's voice as he continued. He heard Jude's alarm clock go off down the hall again and he sighed. How much did you want to bet that she was just going to ignore it? It was bad enough she had used his electric razor to shave her legs last night before her shower. Did she even know how much that dulled a blade? All she had to do was rub a hand along his jaw line this morning and she would know that. He heard her hit the snooze button and he rolled his eyes. Mason's voice continued to drone on.

"…And then there's the fact that Jude won't admit that, for her, fighting is like foreplay…." Mason said suddenly as Tommy sat up quickly. What? Hello! Halt! Okay, that eliminated the need for caffeine this morning. Tom placed a hand on Mason's arm.

"Woe there cowboy! I think I missed that last part. Can you back that up a little bit?" Tommy asked curiously as Mason shrugged.

"Sure, I asked you if you realized the utter tension between you two and you nodded so I was telling you that I thought it was caused by this false anger you two have created. I saw it on Dr. Phil—that sometimes couples fight the hardest only because they seem to view it as foreplay. Okay, so Doctor Phil said it was because they were fighting the need to protect their hearts, but I like the foreplay theorem better, and in Jude's case, I totally see that being the reason why she's so stubborn. She thrives on the challenge. It's what makes the two of you work so well in the studio together. You don't have a twin brother that's gay do you? Okay, didn't think so, but…." Mason continued as Tommy drowned him out once again. So Jude liked the adrenaline rush of being with him, did she? Tom wondered if she knew that he thrived off of it too—as if the tension made him feel younger. Not that he was old, mind you. Jude's alarm clock went off again and Tommy swore. Jesus! Just get up already. Tom sighed as he heard her hit the snooze button again. Okay, that was it! She had managed to throw his viper keys over the edge of a cliff, had him worrying over a set of pictures she still hadn't fully explained to him yet, used all of the hot water in his shower before he had managed to get her out of it, and dulled the blade on his razor. Not to mention that there was now a box of feminine items hiding away in his bathroom cabinet. _She_ did not deserve to sleep in while he listened to her 'best friend' talk about fingernail polish and foreplay. He shuddered as he stood up determinedly, sighing when he saw a car pull into his drive outside his window. Dear God, his family was already coming back after only leaving about six hours ago?

"Where are you going?" Mason asked uncertainly as Tommy grinned—staring down the hall with firm resolve. That damn alarm clock went off again.

"I think it's time Jude greeted the dawn before the day manages to pass her right on by." Tommy uttered as he headed for the door. His mother walked into the kitchen from outside with a box of donuts as Mason stood up and shook his head at Tom's retreating back.

"Um….." Mason began as Tommy grinned wider before walking into his bathroom and turning on the faucet. He hadn't done something like this since his partying days in Boyz Attack.

"Just shut up Mason." Tom proclaimed as he continued on with his business—heading toward Jude's room with a smile. This day was looking up already.


	24. Chapter 24

**_Jude…_**

Have you ever just woken up one morning and realized that the best thing for you to do is to just turn off your alarm clock and roll over, hide under a blanket, and think of ways to make sure that the sun doesn't rise because, no matter what you say to try to convince yourself otherwise, you know that the day is going to be a bad one? Well, this was going to be one of those days for me. I knew that the moment I leaned over to hit the snooze button for the fifth time in the past hour—stuffing my pillow over my head to drown out its insistent whine. Yep, a bad day. And that was before Tommy marched suddenly into the room—unplugging the clock from the wall as he went before shoving at my grumbling form. I squinted my eyes up at him fiercely.

"Hey!" I cried out as he stared at me pointedly from next to the bed. An uneasy feeling crept down my spine. I smiled sweetly as Tommy pointed at the open bedroom door. Okay, so he knew how to point. And?

"Jude, it's ten o' clock. I think it's time you got out of bed now. There are things to do today that have to be done." Tommy pointed out as I rolled my eyes up at him before pressing the pillow over my face again. I barely managed to get out of the bed before twelve on the weekends. He was lucky I was this awake as it was.

"Jusht gwo away." I grumbled into the material as Tommy pulled the sheets off the bed, and I gasped as cold air hit my legs. What the hell?

"I'm giving you to the count of three, Jude." Tommy muttered warningly as I pushed the pillow back down my face before staring into his eyes. My God, he was serious.

"Or what, Tommy?" I asked slowly as Tommy grinned suddenly. Now that was scary. A grinning Tommy never boded well for me.

"One…." Tommy began in a low, husky tone as I narrowed my eyes at him eerily. What was he counting down for? I backed up against the head board.

"Just a little longer?" I asked almost pleadingly as Tommy grinned wider.

"Two…." He continued meaningfully as I threw him a look that said, 'bite me.' Tom smiled—I mean full out smiled as he grabbed a hold of one of my legs.

"Three!" He finished as he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. I screeched. Oh bad bad bad bad bad idea!

"Okay, I'm up!" I exclaimed as Tommy continued walking. He seemed past the point of _'let's talk about this'_ and already in the stages of '_I can't hear you_.' His bathroom came suddenly into view along with the sound of cascading water. What was with us and showers lately? Oh shit! He wouldn't!

"Tommy, just be reasonable…" I began as he stomped into the tile covered room before throwing me quickly under the cold shower spray. It hit me like the force of an entire pot of coffee and I spluttered.

"Hell!" I cried out as I shivered. Tom just chuckled.

"No, it's warmer down there." Tom finished quietly as I glared at him silently before shoving past him back down the hall. He followed me slowly as I ran into my room and slammed the door.

"Awake yet?" he asked sweetly through the wood as I leaned against the material while realizing, quite remarkably, that I was smiling despite my chattering teeth. Yeah, I was actually smiling. Something told me by the tone of Tommy's voice that he was too. Mason's voice rang through my head. Foreplay huh? I could hear Tommy's mother out in the hallway, and I hid a smile as she started speaking to Tom.

"Didn't you shave this morning, Tom? I swear I see a five o'clock shadow." She stated simply as I grinned. She should look in his bathroom cabinet.

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**Author's Note: Officially my romantic comedy (laugh).**


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's Note: And yet again, the hospital has delayed my second sister's birth so I am still sitting at home awaiting the call that I should headout on the road for the eight hour drive for her house. But, hey, that gives me the chance to update. Smiles to you. Hugs and well wishes and I hope that everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July. Angel422_

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**_Jude, Mason, and Tommy at a local shopping center later that afternoon..._**

**_Jude..._**

Okay, I have this theory in general about crazy people. When all else fails, do not be afraid to resort to shock treatment. Let's just say when the cart bumped into my ankles for the umpteenth time that afternoon, I decided with determined alacrity that it was time to move locations. I couldn't help but shake my head as I walked around the buggy to stand behind Tom—noting the way he pulled his shirt collar up higher around his neck and shoved his sunglasses further up his nose. Was he actually trying to disguise himself? I laughed.

"Jesus, Quincy, never been grocery shopping before? How do you manage getting clothes, food,….hah! oh, don't tell me you're an online shopaholic….?" I asked gently as Tommy growled. What a laugh, and I thought I hated supermarkets. Hell, I was beginning to enjoy the art quite extensively these days as I watched Quincy squirm. Hmmmm…so he wasn't going to answer. Well...

"Okay fine. Don't tell me." I replied with a wink before stopping gingerly in front of a crate of watermelons. A Bar-B-Q just wasn't a Bar-B-Q without watermelons. I fingered two of the greener ones as Tommy pranced from one foot to the other impatiently.

"This one or this one?" I asked Tom quizzically as he just shook his head quickly.

"God, Jude, just take the bigger one." Tommy muttered as I laughed. Okay, I've officially decided to start a guide on how to irritate the hell out of former Boy Banders. I think I'll call it 'Spazzed Out: A Re-creation of a Modern day Romance.' Hah! Narrowing my eyes, I bit my lower lip thoughtfully as I leaned over the fruit.

"Hmmmm…tell me Tom. Does size really matter?" I asked sincerely as Tommy stumbled accidentally against one of those posts that stores the plastic bags for bagging produce. Lord knows, I had perfect timing for moments like these because it was just about that time that Mason walked up with a bottle of lotion he had been telling me I should use called 'In Your Dreams." Tee Hee.

"I don't know, Jude. Maybe that's something I should be asking you." Tommy replied quietly as Mason looked between the two of us curiously.

"Why do I suddenly feel like I walked in on something that I, more than likely, don't need to be here to hear?" Mason asked haltingly as I shrugged before grinning wider than usual.

"We were just talking about size…." I began quite emphatically as Tommy grabbed me suddenly from behind while placing a hand firmly across my mouth before looking up at Mason with a grimace.

"Watermelons…we were talking about the size of watermelons." Tommy sputtered as I laughed against his palm. I could see Mason biting his lips as he nodded skeptically while running one of his own fingers across the top of a melon.

"Well you know what they say about size…?" Mason stated vaguely as Tommy quickly released me with a groan—stepping away from the two of us as he moved hurriedly down the aisle.

"Oh Jesus! What is up with you two…?" He ranted as I shrugged my shoulders before leaning down and lifting up the bigger watermelon with a chuckle.

"I'm guessing size does matter then." I mumbled whimsically as Mason howled.


	26. Chapter 26

**_Tommy…_**

Tommy grabbed the socks off the shelf almost roughly as he sighed when he saw a laughing Jude and Mason head toward him from across the store--the watermelon wobbling in the metal encasing as Tommy sighed. He was never going to look at a watermelon the same way again. You just had to love one of those all-in-one stores where one stop gets you everything you need. Jude smirked as Tommy threw the new pack of socks into the buggy. Mason just looked confused.

"Running a little low in the feet coverage department?" Jude asked sweetly as Tommy laughed bitterly. Oh, she was one hell of a player. One friggin' hell of a player.

"Let me see. Considering the fact you rummaged through my drawers to steal _my _socks for your own feet before one--ruining a pair by ripping a hole in the toe, two—by ruining yet another pair by stretching them for use as a jewelry bag, three—ruining another pair by spilling dye on them, then I'd say, yeah I think its time I bought me a new pack." Tommy commented dryly as Mason snorted.

"Hey it's not my fault you keep your house so damn cold, Quincy." Jude replied stoically as Tommy advanced on her from the other side of the buggy—completely and utterly intending to put her in her place until a very disturbing sight caught his eye. Tom cringed. Oh no no no no no! Not now. Please not now.

"Well, if it isn't Little Tommy Q!" A woman exclaimed excitedly as Tommy braced himself for the fierce hug that followed. It was like a barraging bull ramming its horns into his gut. Jude and Mason just stared at the beautiful lady with keen and even suspicious interest as she backed away from the man and looked him over inquisitively. Tom sighed.

"It's been a long time, Ally." Tommy remarked carefully as his ex girlfriend Alexia just stared at him silently—grinning as she took in his defensive stance.

"Well, I never thought I'd see the day that Tom Quincy would step into a store by himself for any reason other than a drink. Not going soft are you, stud?" Ally asked as Tommy smiled tightly. Soft his ass.

"Soft is a really bad description to use there, Ally." Tom retorted with a frown as Ally grunted. What was it about this town and his exes? He somehow didn't remember having dated so many girls here, but then again just like he had told Jude in their emails, he really didn't remember most of the women he dated. Ally cocked her head to the side.

"I heard about the Bar-B-Q. We're all looking forward to it, Tom. As a matter of fact, we wouldn't miss it for the world. I'm so glad to see you home." Ally gushed as she took in Jude's and Mason's presence for the first time—glancing at them curiously before nodding slightly. Jude smiled. Oh God! Why was Jude smiling?

"Hi, I'm Jude Harrison." Jude remarked pleasantly as she lifted up her hand and offered it to Ally—smirking as Ally finally took it and shook it reluctantly.

"As a matter of fact, it's nice to meet one of Tom's female friends. I don't guess you'd care to help me out with a small dilemma would you?" Jude asked as Tommy narrowed his eyes. What the hell was she up to now? Ally just nodded at Jude carefully.

"Umm…sure..why not?" Alley muttered as Jude leaned over and grabbed a few articles of clothing. Tommy closed his eyes at the sight as he took a deep steadying breath. She wouldn't, she wouldn't, she wouldn't!

"Great! Because guys are just not the source of information for things like this. So tell me, do you like thongs or bikini underwear because I'm kind of leaning toward the thongs if you ask me, but at the same time…." Jude started as Tommy opened his eyes slowly only to find himself cross-eyed at the sudden proximity of the undergarments to his face. She would. Of course, she would. Ally just stood there dumbfounded as Mason said something about preferring the thongs himself. This was not happening. It was some twisted dream, right?

"Acually, I think I…uh…I need to be going?" Ally remarked softly as Jude shrugged.

"Oh well, nice to meet you though. You should try the pastries at the bakery up front. It'll give you a totally orgasmic experience." Jude proclaimed as Tommy coughed. She had not just said that! Tom clenched his fists together. Jude…..!

"Foreplay, I tell you." Mason whispered as he brushed by the two of them toward the front of the store. Jude squinted her eyes at the reteating Ally.

"She seems tense. Maybe I should introduce her to my two best friends Ben and Jerry. And in dire circumstances, there is always my buddy Haagen-Daas and Creamsicle as well." Jude remarked as Tommy grabbed her by the front of the shirt and dragged her towards the store's entrance. He was not going to survive this night.


	27. Chapter 27

**Author's Note: Whew! Long time no hear from huh? Hey guys! I am back from Georgia and my sister and her baby are doing great! I am now the aunt to two very beautiful, very healthy nephews and I can sit back at home and relax once more. Deep breaths. Ahhhhh! Too bad I can't paste pictures in here for you guys to see. Those boys will break hearts one day. One's got dark brown hair right now and the other blonde. Well, I hope you guys missed my updates and stories. I have plenty of time to catch up now and can't wait to check in on some of you. Lots of hugs and smiles. Big Love. Angel422.**

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"I fail to see why you are so upset, Tom Quincy." I remarked pleasantly as Tommy winced before continuing to push me from the store toward his truck—a standard vehicle this time with this confusing sequence of gears and four wheel drive that just literally made your head spin. Mason was humming as he preceded us to the large contraption—letting himself into it casually as if the tension between Tommy and I were nothing more than a brand of his favorite bottled water—bland and unsatisfying. I sighed. 

"You are impossible, you know that, Harrison." Tommy remarked as I cringed. Impossible was not exactly the way I had intended to be viewed, but, hey, I suppose I could play off that description.

"Oh? And you're just so readable yourself, Quincy. Like a friggin' open book, I tell you." I muttered as he growled before throwing me his truck keys. I just gaped at them. Uh……

"And these are for?" I asked uneasily as Tommy looked over at me as if I were beyond idiotic to completely and utterly mentally handi-capped.

"I don't know, Harrison, in this part of the country, you could probably use those to start a cow. Jesus! Just get in." He exclaimed as he climbed into the passenger seat. I could actually see Mason gulp in the back seat as he quickly unbuckled himself and opened the door hurriedly. Oh yeah, Tom was angry. No doubt about it.

"Oh my God! Are you trying to commit suicide, Quincy!" Mason proclaimed as I narrowed my eyes. Okay, I was insulted now. Hello! Tommy just crossed his arms over his chest as he perused me quietly.

"As a matter of fact…" He began as Mason started to practically fan himself in the chilly Montana air. So, I was substantially a bad driver. No need to rub my face in the obvious. Geez! Mason grunted.

"Okay, you two have officially passed from 'this was a cute Wedding Date kind of moment' to something along the lines of a Woody Allen film. So, if you will excuse the blunt 'stick my nose' into your lives busy bodiness, I will point out now that I want it clearly defined upon my demise that you two were the cause of it." Mason complained as he climbed back into the truck slowly before double checking his seat belt a good four or five times. I blanched as I looked at Tommy through the open driver's side door to where he sat casually in the passenger side cloth-covered seat. What was his problem? He raised a brow up at me.

"Afraid Harrison?" He asked gently as I clenched my teeth together. He knew how I was about challenges—knew the exact way to goad me into anything. Something told me anger was ruling his now dysfunctional brain so I did what any other challenged, stubborn female would do. I climbed into the driver's seat as I listened to Mason praying silently in the background in a strange melodramatic tone as I inserted the key into the ignition.

"I didn't know you were Catholic." I commented helpfully to Mason as he laughed slightly.

"I'm not, but give me a moment, and I intend to have every religion covered from Catholicism to Daoism." Mason remarked as Tommy laughed. Oh hell! They were not making fun of me. It was really quite fortunate that my father had at least attempted to teach me enough about a standard before to give me an idea of what each gear was. I won't go into detail about why my father's lesson suddenly stopped. Enough said there.

"You two have no faith in me, do you?" I asked sincerely as Mason hrrruuumpphhed from behind me.

"Faith in you…yeah sure. Faith in your driving abilities…well, not so much." Mason countered as I turned the key to hear the truck suddenly roar to life. Boys be damned! It was about time to show them that girls had balls too—if only figuratively speaking that is.


	28. Chapter 28

A good half hour later and Mason was on a prayer that sounded eerily familiar to something said in Buddhism as we jerked and started along the dirt road near Tommy's driveway, and I shifted the gears again irritably. Tom just sat there calmly—way too calmly. So I had angered the guy? Big deal. Breathe already.

"Your going to strip the gears, Harrison." He finally remarked as I threw him a scathing look.

"You should have thought about that thirty minutes ago." I remarked simply as he grinned. Okay, so we had gone from disbelief, to shock, to anger, to grinning. Why did that frighten me?

"And miss this enjoyably bumpy ride highlighted by bruised buttocks and aching backs? Now, why would I do a thing like that?" Tommy asked as I growled. Something told me he had put me in this seat to annoy me. I shouldn't let him get his wish, but hey, the man had a way with proposition. The driveway sloped and I shifted again as Mason started in on something along the lines of "And should I walk through the valley of death." Okay, give me a break.

"And just when I thought my day was going to be without entertainment…" Tommy continued as I pummeled the wheel with my fist. Ohhhhhhh! The guy was so dead blasted….so grievously….infuriatingly hellish. Yeah, that worked. That thought swamped me as I drove, and that's when I removed my foot from the clutch as the driveway hit its highest slope—a descent that headed straight for the garage. The truck sped up as it flew toward the structure and Mason gasped as Tommy swore.

"The clutch! Hit the clutch, Harrison!" Tommy yelled as I panicked. Mason just began an incessant chanting of 'Oh God, Oh God!" My nerves were on edge as I started pounding at the floorboard—searching for the clutch as the building drew nearer until Tommy's weight suddenly suffocated me as he unbuckled his seat belt and dove across my lap—hitting the clutch just as the vehicle rammed into the back of the garage—creating a hole about the size of Tom's sister, Maddie. Great job, Harrison! I pushed at Tom's body as he leaned heavily back against the seat.

"Well, that was fin. You guys wouldn't possibly want to do it again, would you?" I asked merrily as both guys glared in my direction. I threw my hands up into the air.

"Hey, we could look at it this way. I managed to enlarge the garage." I stated stoically as Tommy suddenly laughed. I couldn't help it, I laughed with him as Mason cursed and pushed open his door mumbling something along the lines of how insane people shouldn't be allowed to mingle with the general public. I just kept laughing—glancing over at Tom in the small space as I did. Something was changing between us. I could feel it in the way we had fought before—in the way we seemed to accept each other's anger now. Age might have been an excuse before but now it just seemed as if all the barriers were breaking—as if life was becoming clearer somehow. Tom leaned toward me, and I held my breath just as he brushed a strand of my hair behind my ear. His lips neared mine…

"What in God's name happened here?" A voice asked loudly as we both turned to find half of Tom's family standing outside the vehicle. Tom just shrugged as I burst into laughter again.

"We're redecorating." I muttered as Tommy snickered while his family just looked on with a mix of disbelief and amusement. The two of us really did have a way with entertaining. Catalina watched us quietly as she motioned toward the house.

"Well, if you're done with that, the guests have already started arriving." She announced as I rolled my eyes. Oh, this ought to be interesting. I even swore I heard Tommy groan as his brother Matthew grinned.

"I even plan on performing a song." Matthew proclaimed as everyone sighed.


	29. Chapter 29

**_A Little Later..._**

People milled around the yard as I watched from the distance—doing my best to keep from finding the keys to that dead blasted truck so I could smash it into another building as I observed the group of girls shadowing Tommy's every move. Of course they would stick to him like maximum strength glue. The man had the sex appeal of a saint driven to sin. Where were Mason's prayers when I needed them?

"He's always had a way with the women." A voice whispered near my ear, and I turned my head slightly to see Catalina leaning against the side of the house next to me. I averted my gaze quickly.

"I really don't know what you're talking about." I stated simply as she laughed. The sound made the hairs on the back of my neck rise.

"Don't be so naïve, Jude. I've seen the way you two act together. Was it always this way, even back at the studio?" She asked quietly now as I nodded while grimacing when I saw the girl from the store suddenly grab Tommy's arms. He didn't push her away. And that bothered me.

"Probably worse back at the studio." I admitted evenly as I shrugged. "We fought less but bottled up things more so, in a way, the emotions were worse there." I continued as Catalina nodded.

"I figured as much." She replied as she moved away from the wall—moving closer to me as she watched two other girls whisper something into Tommy's ears. Jesus, my hackles were raised right now and that irked me! I had no right to allow myself that discomfort. Catalina placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it gently before beginning to walk away into the crowd as I tried not to gape. Her gentle touch almost burned itself into my skin as I touched the place she had patted me self-consciously. I was having a hard time figuring out how she felt about this whole situation.

"Maybe you're just what he needs in order to get him to quit running." Catalina called out over her shoulder as I stared at her retreating form in confusion.

"Running?" I called out softly in return as she glanced back with finality—eerie, yet firm finality

"From himself." She remarked as she motioned toward the huge table set out in the middle of the yard.

"Time to eat!" She announced loudly as everyone looked up expectantly before happily migrating toward the table. I couldn't blame them. The food smelled absolutely wonderful as I followed suit—pulling out a chair that was directly across from Tommy's and situated right next to Mason's. Oh yeah, that was a wonderful selection (said with more than a hint of sarcasm). Tom smiled at me softly and I sort of nodded back slightly in his direction as he seated himself while his 'fan club' began arranging themselves neatly around him. And I tried desperately, I swear, not to roll my eyes as bimbo number 1,2, 3, and 4 began arguing incessantly about who would get to sit where. I mean, geez, at this point I would have settled with telling them all to sit on the grass and put him in the middle of the circle. The arguing escalated, and Mason took a deep breath before slamming a fork down on the table. He was getting more than a little aggravated as well. It wasn't like we were sitting at this table to receive, quite emphatically, a very bad case of heart burn. Everyone looked at Mason as he smiled sweetly at the group—not apologizing in the least for his erratic behavior. Kudos to him!

"Are you people that caught up in who gets to monopolize Tom Quincy's time because if that's the case, I have a mildly interesting proposition." Mason remarked as all of the girls, and Tommy if we're being honest, looked over at him with an expressions of piqued interest.

"Proposition?" The girl I had come to know as Izzie asked curiously as Mason grinned. He was up to something and it was making my skin crawl. He nodded as he leaned forward to explain. I actually found myself leaning forward as well. How sick is that?

"This offer includes a chance to spend the rest of the evening alone with Tommy under one condition? I'll ask you twenty questions about the man, and you have to answer at least six of them correctly in order to win—a sort of twenty question game defining which girl knows him the best. What do you say, Tommy? You willing to give that a shot?" Mason asked as the girls smiled cattily all of a sudden while the members of Tommy's family closest to us grew quiet. I think everyone was actually hoping Tommy would say yes. I felt like I was watching the friggin Dating Game. Tom smiled.

"Only if Jude agrees to play too." Tommy stated suddenly as my head shot up like a cannon ready to fire. What? I didn't want to play—had no interest in time alone with him. Or did I? Mason nudged me, and I realized that I had been sitting there for a good five minutes while staring in front of me in shock.

"This is a joke, right?" I asked Tommy quietly as the other girls agreed with me loudly. Glad to see I wasn't the only one reluctant for me to join in this little, twisted game. Or were they just afraid that I'd win? Tom just shrugged.

"Afraid, Jude, that you just might win?" Tom asked, speaking aloud the question I'd just been asking myself, as I flinched. Most of these girls had been in relationships with him at one time or another. Why should I expect to win? Mason nudged me again. The night wasn't getting any younger.

"Fine." I finally answered as Mason smiled. What did I have to lose, right?


	30. Chapter 30

**Author's Note: Okay guys, I am just so floored and flummoxed by the response to this story. It's strange how this story was sort of a comical fluke—just something that came to me while writing some of my others and I began writing it down sort of as a way just to make myself laugh so I am in complete and utter gratitude for the way you guys are enjoying it too which is why I spent most of yesterday writing up new chapters for this fic. I will upload them as I proof read over them. Had meant to upload them all last night and fell asleep at my computer (sigh). So here's the first 'game' chapter. The second will be up shortly. Welcome back from Europe riotgirllina. I envy you. And I hope you feel better Kris10rox. And I pray that all of you are doing well. Smiles and hugs. Angel422.**

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Mason actually rubbed his mischievous little hands together in obvious glee as he sat back in his chair and I had to stifle a laugh. Something told me that Mason would make a great talk show or game show host if music hadn't been his immediate calling. Tommy quirked a brow as he watched him too before leaning back in his chair casually—looking around the table as if the fact that we were practically auctioning him off didn't bother him. Well, no need I suppose. I was bothered enough for both of us.

"Okay, I'll make this easy on all of you to begin with." Mason muttered as we all glanced at each other narrowly. I was not in the mood to listen to quips about Tom's penis size and lack of morality in the bedroom so I just kept my fingers crossed that Mason would choose his questions carefully. As it was, Tom's family seemed determined to make this gathering function outside of what was going on within it as they began chattering away to mask the tension that flowed over the table. Matthew even chose that moment to demonstrate his own musical abilities—lifting up an old acoustic guitar before declaring that he was going to play that song Collide by Howie Day. How appropriate right?

"And how are we supposed to know who answers the questions correctly. I mean, should we all assume that you are that intimately involved with Tommy—involved enough to be able to discern his answers." Izzie asked Mason confidently as Tommy coughed. I could see Mason grin wickedly and it made me chuckle.

"Oh honey, I wish I did. Trust me. You have no idea. But, alas, I do not know the man that well which is why he's here to tell us if you are answering the questions right or wrong. I just get to come up with the questions." Mason replied with a slight chivalrous nod of his head while Izzie finally shrugged as if she could live with that answer. The pulse in my neck was beginning to beat a little too rapidly. Thank God no one at this table was a vampire. They'd love to get a taste of my jugular at the moment. Mason grinned.

"Okay, so we start off trivial. Hmmm….boxers or briefs, girls?" Mason asked stoically as someone further down the table gasped. I'm guessing that was his mother. I had to bite my lip to keep from gasping too as I looked up at Tommy. He just seemed amused by the whole thing. Yeah, seems about right when it came to him, and how come I was getting the impression that Mason wanted an answer to that question more than the rest of us cared to share one. I sighed. Thank God I had gone searching in his drawers for those dead blasted socks. There's a lot you can learn about a person through his dresser. Izzie shrugged. Something told me these girls mostly saw him nude—not in a pair of underwear.

"Boxers." Izzie answered assuredly as Heather nodded in agreement. Alexia snickered.

"I'm going with briefs." Lexi answered as everyone turned toward me curiously upon her reply. I smiled slightly at the look of unconcern on their faces. Hated to disappoint them, but they were all wrong.

"Boxer briefs actually, and I'll also point out the guy has a thing for the Joe Boxer and Hanes brands." I stated simply as I leaned back in my chair—staring pointedly at Tommy as if daring him to prove me wrong. He didn't. He just smiled and nodded in my direction. Point one for me. How come I was starting to feel as if this game was more a challenge for Tommy—a way for him to figure out how well the two of us actually knew each other. Mason scratched his head before looking around at the now grumbling group. What? I may not have slept with the guy, but there are other ways to learn stuff about people. Suffice it to say, I'm sure he knew my favorite brand of underwear by now as well. I know, because the day after I played around in his sock drawer, I found my drawer just as disheveled. Mason leaned forward.

"Okay, question number two. How does Tommy drink his coffee?" Mason asked as we all perused each other curiously. I think they were waiting for me to answer the question first this time, but that wasn't happening.

"Black." Izzie answered finally as Heather and Lexi agreed. They all looked over at me and I nodded—knowing from experience that he never added anything to his java. Tommy nodded along with us and I shrugged. So, I had two points now. The other girls had one. Why did that suddenly make me feel powerful? I couldn't afford to lose my confidence. I didn't need to doubt my answers. Why the hell did I care? I didn't want time alone with Tommy.

"You're doing fine." Tommy whispered suddenly and I looked over to see him raising a brow in my direction. Fine my ass. Okay, so I guess it wouldn't hurt to admit that I was secretly glad that I was doing fine as well. I was just hoping that Mason would ask a question that makeTommy squirm soon. Matthew began strumming on his guitar in the background. He wasn't half bad.


	31. Chapter 31

"_The Dawn is Breaking_

_A Light shining through_

_You're barely waking_

_And I'm tangled up in you_

_Yeah."_

Matthew sang as I looked over at Mason while trying to ignore, at best, the feelings that swept over me at those lyrics. That one song had made me an immediate fan of that Day guy. The other girls shifted uncomfortably as Mason shrugged. I guess it was on to question number three.

"Brush or comb?" Mason asked as I rolled my eyes. When was Mason going to get really personal and why did I want him to? Maybe I was as curious as Tommy was about how much I really knew the 'real' Quincy. This was sort of a strange way for me to discover that as well--a screwed up need to say 'hey, I really know this guy.'

"Brush." Izzie answered quickly as Heather shook her head. Okay, so the two bimbo sisters were actually disagreeing.

"Comb actually. I know because I couldn't find my brush one morning and I was hoping he would have one." Heather replied as Alexia immediately sided with Heather. I just groaned as I looked over at Mason and answered 'comb.' Tom nodded, and we all tallied up scores again. I was at three, Heather and Lexi were at two, and Izzie was at one. Come on, Mason, you could do better than that. Mason looked up at me as he grinned, and I shivered.

"Name a weird fact about Tommy that no one else would know." Mason stated suddenly as all of the girls stared over at him in shock. What? Were they expecting this whole Q&A to be nothing more than what his favorite colors and beverages were? Sheesh! I sat back in my seat as the girls grew silent. My eyes automatically searched out Tom's as Matthew's voice broke through the strange tension once more.

"_I'm open, you're closed_

_Where I follow, you'll go_

_I worry I won't see your face_

_Light up again."_

Those words struck me like a sudden bullet wound as a small excited yelp arose from one of the girls—drawing me out of my thoughts as she looked at all of us narrowly.

"He locks his Viper keys up in a lock box at night." Izzie stated with a small laugh as I tried not to chuckle—really I did. Okay, so that _was_ a strange fact about Tom--I'd give her that much--but not one we didn't all already know. Anyone who had ever worked with him knew that. And lately I was beginning to wonder why he cared about that car so much. I had a feeling it had to do with something personal. Besides, I wonder what the girls would think if they knew where his keys were right now. Oh, how I suddenly missed that cliff.

"That's no secret." Tommy's grandmother said suddenly from further down the table and Mason snickered. Okay, so we had an audience. Tom just closed his eyes as if bored with the answer. Izzie growled as Heather shrugged.

"He smokes." Heather answered uncertainly as we all blanched. She was really reaching for an answer wasn't she. I mean, who didn't know that? Alexia rolled her eyes as she looked around the group.

"His leather jacket once belonged to a James Dean collection. It's vintage." Lexi remarked as I quirked a brow. Hmmmm…I didn't know that, but obviously the rest of his family did because his mother coughed suddenly.

"I hate to tell you that that's not a secret either. It was a present from me." Catalina replied as I suddenly flinched. Damn, I guess it was my turn, but I wasn't sure I cared to answer. Tom's eyes were still closed although I could tell he was listening.

"He goes into the studio at night sometimes around two or three o'clock in the morning to record his own album—a list of songs he's been working on when he's alone. It's actually quite beautiful." I answered simply as Tommy's eyes sprung open. His family was staring in interest now. Everyone had thought that he had given up on his own music. I knew better.

"Are you going to disagree with me?" I asked him in a low tone as Tommy shook his head.

"How'd you know?" He asked quietly as I shrugged before turning back to Mason.

"Time for question number five right?" I asked as Mason nodded. I could still feel Tommy's eyes on my face.

"_Even the best fall down sometimes_

_Even the wrong words seem to rhyme_

_Out of the doubt that fills my mind_

_I somehow find_

_You and I collide."_


	32. Chapter 32

God, I was beginning to feel antsy now—that 'my skin's crawling' feeling that seems to overtake you when you know something big is about to happen—when you know that things are going to change dramatically. Mason began tapping the table with his finger and I clenched my teeth together. That is so a pet peeve of mine!

"Tell me girls, what is Tommy's greatest pick up line—the one most used?" Mason asked as I frowned. Mason knew I had never dated Tom—knew that Tommy had never had a reason to use a pick up line on me before. The little sneak. I'm guessing that Mason just wanted to up the ante a little bit. Izzie grinned.

"He got me by saying 'If the world's a stairway to heaven, I hope you're my angel.'" Izzie answered as I just gaped over at Tom incredulously. No wonder he had never used a pick up line on me before. He must have realized I would gag. Jesus! Heather laughed.

"He reeled me in by saying 'and just when I thought my day was going badly, I find the one thing that could make it right.'" Heather replied as I rolled my eyes again. Oh, give me a break. At least that one was not as silly as the first. Alexia chuckled.

"He interested me by punching out my drunk ex-boyfriend and telling him that if he was interested in treating a woman like a real lady to give him a call. He'd give lessons for a small fee." Lexi remarked as I just laughed—I mean all out laughed. This was like watching a really bad episode of that show Mr. Romance where Fabio teaches men how to become Harlequin books newest cover man. Oh, Tom could definitely be a cover man. Mason looked at me as I continued laughing before throwing my hands up into the air.

"I'm conceding these points to them." I stated finally as I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. Yeah, okay. They could have one point. What did I care? I was already up by one point over Heather and Lexi anyway. Mason seemed okay with the idea of giving them all the point. Besides, I had a feeling that Tommy never used the same pick up line twice. It wasn't his style.

Mason narrowed his eyes.

"Let's delve a little deeper into Tom's psyche." Mason muttered as Tommy began to shift uncomfortably. I think he was just figuring out this game might not work to his advantage after all.

"Oh hell! I'll give Tommy a slight break and ask a few inane questions first to see how much you know the guy outside the bedroom. Question six—what does Tommy do to relieve stress?" Mason asked quickly as the other girls looked at each other uneasily. Something told me they had no idea. It helps if you spend a good eight hours a day with the man like I did. Izzie frowned.

"I don't know. Watches a movie?" Izzie asked as Tommy shook his head. Heather frowned too.

"Takes a day off?" Heather asked as I grinned. Yeah right. That'd be the day that pigs flew and hell froze over. Lexi shrugged as Tommy shook his head at Heather's answer.

"Goes for a drive?" Lexi asked as I sighed. Ugh! These girls really didn't know him that well outside of the bedroom which meant that they were probably one of the ways he de-stressed himself although I wasn't going to share that information. I did have some semblance of a heart. They all looked over at me, except Tom who was now as uncomfortable as I was about this whole interrogation. I suddenly felt like this was a private conversation between the two of us that was being aired out in front of a public audience. I touched Tom slightly on the shoulder so that he'd look at me as I answered. At this point, I deserved eye contact.

"It depends on the situation." I finally answered. "There are days when a bourbon on the rocks, a straight shot of whiskey, or a cigarette will do the trick. But mostly, he goes down to a local boxing club and goes a few rounds." I finished as Tommy nodded at me quietly. Noises almost faded into the background as those dead blasted lyrics that Matthew had been playing earlier coursed through my mind again.

"_I'm quiet you know_

_You make a first impression_

_I've found I'm scared to know_

_I'm always on your mind."_

The tension between us was palpable, and I heard Mason clear his throat decidedly.

"Okay, I suddenly feel the need to lighten things up a bit. How about this? Question seven—If Tommy had an office with a calendar in it, would it be set on today's date or just flipped open?" Mason asked hurriedly, and I couldn't help it, I laughed.


	33. Chapter 33

"Oh, that's easy. Not only would the man have the calendar on the right month and day, he'd probably take the time to write what time it was too." Heather answered simply as the rest of us girls nodded. Mason raised a brow in question as Lexi supplied the answer to his silent question.

"The man's anal." She remarked as I just cleared my throat at the statement. Ahh, the points were going up. So, I'm guessing that last answer put Izzie at four, Heather and Lexi at five, and myself at six. If the girls didn't catch up soon, I was pretty much the destined winner. Mason must have decided to take that opportunity to throw a wrench into the mix because the next thing I knew, my body was completely numb from dread as Mason looked over at all of us knowingly.

"Describe Tommy in two words. Let him choose the best description." Mason stated as I looked down at my hands uncertainly. Mason's questions were suddenly beginning to sound very familiar to me and that had me worried. What was he up to? Izzie sat up straighter in her chair.

"Sexy and talented." She replied as Heather nodded in agreement before throwing in her two cents.

"Strong and charming." Heather supplied as Lexi grunted. I'm guessing she didn't agree with the appearance descriptions. I was with her on that one.

"Arrogant and haughty." Lexi countered as I just raised a brow in her direction. Great choice of description, but didn't those two words mean the exact same thing? I shook my head to clear my own thoughts as I looked over at Tommy.

"Passionate and unresolved." I answered quietly as Tommy looked up into my eyes. I was having an utter moment of déjà vu, and I could tell that he was too. That sneaky little bastard best friend of mine was now using conversations Tommy and I had had online before I came down to Montana as a form of questioning. There went my chances of losing this battle—of saving my sanity. Tommy nodded at me as Mason got ready to ask another question.

"What do you see Tommy doing in the evening as he sits at home?" Mason asked as I narrowed my eyes at him. I wasn't stupid. I knew what he was up to. Izzie laughed.

"You mean apart from the obvious. I only see him practicing extracurricular activities in bed." Izzie mumbled as the other two girls agreed. Okay, that did it! I know the boy had a bad female history, but give the guy some credit. Even he had to let it rest sometimes (excuse the pun). Tom's family looked over at us warily as Mason turned toward me.

"Well, Jude?" He asked quietly as I threw him a look that said 'you will die later a painful, unexpected death." He just grinned as I stared down at the table. I had no desire to see Tom's face right now.

"If Orange County Chopper's not on, then he likes going outside and either racing his motorcycle or working on his cars before ordering in Italian." I answered almost on a whisper as I finally got up the courage to look up in enough time to see Tommy nodding. His eyes were narrowed on Mason now as well. That's what I get for having let Mason read our conversations over my shoulders. Matthew was strumming on his guitar again. It was the same song although he wasn't singing the lyrics. He didn't have to. I knew them by heart.

_Even the best fall down sometimes_

_Even the stars refuse to shine_

_Out of the back you fall in time_

_I somehow find_

_You and I collide._

Mason cleared his throat again. If he did that one more time, I was determined to get up and get him a Halls throat lozenge. Seriously!

"Well…" Mason stuttered suddenly as if surprised that I would answer the questions honestly now considering the fact that I had guessed Mason's intentions. Well, it was time I showed Tommy that I felt like I was more to him than the girls who just shared his bed. Maybe that's why I had never let him take that next step with me because I knew that's what he did best. I didn't just want the part of him that belonged in the bedroom, although it wasn't a bad thought either. I wanted the entire person.

"Question ten—What's Tommy's favorite thing about music?" Mason asked as I took in a deep breath. Here we went again. Another puppet speaks with the master question.


	34. Chapter 34

Everyone looked at Mason curiously as he shrugged his shoulders. It was his game, I guess--his question. So what was Tommy's favorite thing about music? Izzie sighed as she shook her head.

"Playing it, I assume." She answered pointedly as Heather nodded in agreement—you know that whole sisterly 'I can't think on my own' thing again, yeah it was bugging me now. Lexi surprised me once again though as she crossed her eyes at the other two girls before looking over at Tom.

"Writing it." She answered as I groaned. And here's to hoping that at least one of the girls could look deeper than the mechanics of the industry. I sighed as Mason looked over at me with a grin. Is it wrong that I wanted desperately to slap the smile off of his face? Hmmm…

"It's not about the way the art is created, but about how the art makes you feel. It's about losing yourself in the tune—about making verse and melody scream out frustration and chaos while enjoying its laughter and joy as well. A musician's favorite thing about music is its ability to tell a story—its ability to create life out of notes." I answered softly as the whole table grew quiet. Tom took in a deep breath before leaning forward. He seemed about to say something but just nodded his head instead. I tried not to feel disappointed. Mason glanced between us silently before lowering his voice almost dramatically.

"What's Tom biggest fear?" Mason asked haltingly as if afraid that the question would cause a riot. From the way everyone peered over at the gay instigator, it was definitely having the desired effect.

"Fear?" Izzie asked on a laugh. "As in phobias?" She reiterated as Mason nodded. Oh yeah. This was going to be good. Heather looked over at Tom as she elbowed her sister in the ribs.

"He fears love." Heather answered as I watched the expressions playing eerily over Tommy's face. That was a good answer—maybe even partly correct, but not the most accurate one. There was something deeper—something more obtuse--a deeper fear that caused him to be afraid of love and that was the fear I saw in him daily. Izzie grunted as her sister elbowed her again before nodding in agreement with Heather. At this point, neither of them even deserved to win. They needed to get separate brains for one. Alexia gazed over at me warily as she leaned forward to give her own answer.

"He fears commitment." She murmured as the table suddenly filled with whispered agreement—even from his own family. Did no one know him better than that? Couldn't they see what his real fear was? No one even looked at me this time. They just assumed that Alexia was right—that it was the fear of commitment that made him the man he was today. The voices around the table grew louder as I looked up into Tommy's now darkened gaze. It must feel strange baring your soul out in front of an audience. What had brought us to this point?

"He fears failure." I remarked loudly all of a sudden as a hush fell over the crowd. Tom continued to stare at me.

"He fears failure." I repeated again as my gaze lingered. "It's what makes him run from love. It's what makes him run from commitment. It's what keeps him from taking the next step in life. He fears failure. Am I right, Tommy?" I asked suddenly as he stared unblinkingly into my eyes. I could hear his family mumbling. Maybe they were seeing him for the first time—getting a glimpse at the man behind the CD cover—the man behind the Boyz Attack and Producer façade. My gaze met his daringly as he nodded before leaning forward himself—glancing at the table at large as he placed his palms on the table resolutely. He had that 'you're about to get an ear full of it' expression on his face, and I grinned. I liked his passion. It just seemed to make everyone else nervous. Tom grinned back.

"No offense, Mason, but I think I'd like to change the rules of the game. Still the same goal—still the same prize in the end. But with a twist. I'd like to get to know the girls better so that I can _choose_ who I want to spend the evening with. It's time I start asking the questions." Tom replied with quiet ardor as I shivered. Okay, now that scared me.

"Question twelve Quincy style…" Tom began as I slunk down into my chair. Oh, this couldn't be good.


	35. Chapter 35

Everyone around the table shifted uncomfortably as Tommy spoke up even though, to me, it wasn't unexpected. I had started to wonder how long he could sit there as the spectator. That characterization wasn't in him—didn't suit his personality. Therefore, I was impressed that he had lasted as long as he had, but his penetrating stare also worried me. Why did I suddenly feel like I needed a kevlar helmet—one of those things used in the military to help protect you from falling debris. Oh yeah, that would be good right about now. Matthew strummed on his guitar again, and I threw him a narrowed glance as I recognized the tune he suddenly played. What was it about this guy and Howie Day songs although I couldn't argue their significance. He sang the lyrics suddenly as Tommy rolled his eyes at his brother.

_Make me fall down_

_Make me get up_

_And if I'm alright_

_Make sure I'm scared to death_

_Maybe I'm useless_

_If I just could remember_

_Make me feel nervous and I'll_

_Make you surrender_

_I'll take you on_

_Yeah I'll take you on_

Matthew sang as Tommy motioned toward the guitar.

"Cut it out with the theme songs." Tommy muttered as Matthew shrugged. I could see the mischievous glint in Matt's eyes as he grinned.

"Hey, Rocky Balboa had one. I'm thinking that these competitions deserve fine music." Matthew stated dryly as I chuckled. Oh yeah, we were certainly similar to Rocky Balboa weren't we? All we needed to do now was either hit each other in the faces or arm wrestle. Hey that's not a bad idea. Tom turned toward us again.

"Alright girls, define love for me." Tommy said firmly as the other three girls suddenly gulped as if uncomfortable in this new position—being asked to reveal themselves instead of berating Quincy. I had to agree with them right now. I didn't like the idea of answering any questions, but I wouldn't give the man the satisfaction of knowing that I was nervous, maybe even a little afraid. Tom raised a brow.

"What? None of you been in love before?" He asked pointedly as everyone straightened in their seats. Damn, but wasn't he getting personal. Izzie seemed to be our little leader--an attention hog that seemed to like answering first and we let her.

"I think love is joy—it's finding someone you can be happy with." Izzie replied as Heather laughed. Obviously, she thought her sister was wrong. There's a first time for everything, right?

"I think love is about trust and honor—letting yourself believe in someone else." Heather answered as she threw her sister a look. I couldn't stomach the tension between those two. Love was just that—love. It was different for everyone. Alexia cleared her throat, and I glanced at her.

"Love is unbiased—it's uncomplicated and full of no expectations." Lexi answered confidently as I slowly shook my head. That couldn't be more wrong. It was more than that. Tommy looked over at me and I met his expression stoically—narrowing my eyes at the challenge I saw in his pupils. If he thought he could unnerve me, he had another thing coming. The table had grown quiet. I think everyone had started to realize that this wasn't as much about a game anymore as it was about realization. I leaned forward.

"Love is like faith—it's believing in something you can't see, believing in something that you can't touch. It's about sacrificing yourself for the ultimate goal—about overlooking what everyone else refuses to see. It's like a game of chance—a game of strategy because sometimes we don't make the right moves or even the right choices. It's about learning what those right moves are. Love is complicated—it is full of expectation because it's complex and its draining—asking you to give yourself to someone even when you're afraid." I answered softly as my gaze lingered on Tommy's. I was afraid to look anywhere else—to look in any direction except at the man who was challenging us all. I was up to the challenge. Was he? Matthew had it right. Come on, Tom. I'll take you on. Next question please. He wanted to dance in circles did he? Then stick a rose in my mouth and let's tango.


	36. Chapter 36

**Author's Note: Oh come on! You guys didn't think I was done yet, did you? (grin). Oh and loveisepic, can I have the Tommy lathered in whip ceam now? Oh, I love you guys! Smiles and hugs.**

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Tom raised a brow up at me as he looked around the group quietly. Something told me I had more that piqued his ire—had ultimately goaded him into the point of no return. I mean, had I actually just basically called him a coward for running in fear away from love? Oh, that had to be a mistake! I almost laughed as I flashbacked over the past couple of days. I sure as hell didn't need him to throw me into another cold shower. Tom tapped his chin lightly and I almost cringed. I knew that was his way of calling a person's bluff. 

"Well, my little donna bellas, methinks it is high time that I had you put on your thinking caps. Let's play a little word association game shall we? I'll say a word and you tell me the first thing that comes to your mind." Tommy remarked as his stare continued to hold mine resolutely--challengingly. That did it. There was no longer anyone at this table with us. It was just him and I at a stand still—arguing the argument that should have transpired days ago. I could hear—barely—everyone else at the table as one of the girls swore. It was clear this wasn't a simple game anymore. It was war between two people. Alexia cursed as she hit the table with her palm.

"Are you really looking for answers from all of us or just her." Lexi asked as she motioned in my general direction as Tommy and I both stood up slowly—facing off across the table without even realizing what we were doing--ignoring those around us as we did. I could hear—distantly—the sound of Mason's voice as he tried calling my name.

"Um….Jude." He began as I held up a hand in a gesture that said 'just shut up, Fox.' Ohhhhhh, Tom was going to get it now. Did he think I was illiterate?

"Go Tom! Throw it at me." I mumbled fiercely as Matthew snickered in the background.

"Oh just let 'em go at it. This ought to be highly entertaining." Matthew stated excitedly as Tom cocked his head to one side. Let the friggin' games begin. I had him beat already. Oh God, what were we doing?

"Love?" Tommy asked quietly--throwing the first word term at me as I faced off with him stoically—placing my palms on the table as I answered.

"Deception." I replied in response as he narrowed his eyes.

"Car?" He asked this time as I grinned.

"Fading taillights." I replied without hesitation.

"Absence?" He asked as I shook my head. Did he have to ask? I mean, really.

"Betrayal." I answered honestly as he leaned forward to place his palms on each side of mine. I could feel everyone's stares, but, at this point, they didn't matter.

"Pictures?" He reiterated as I tried not to growl. Those again?

"A mistake." I countered as Tommy shook his own head.

"Music?" He asked as I laughed softly. Music is what it had always been for me.

"An escape." I stated simply. Tom nodded. Obviously, he agreed. Glad to know that. Really.

"Loneliness?" Tom asked as I narrowed my eyes. Oh no, he didn't!

"Selfishness." I answered as I heard someone snort. That was when I realized, quite remarkably, that the two of us had started circling the table—peering over everyone's heads as we moved—him in an attempt to advance on me, and myself in an attempt to avoid contact. Tom took a quick step forward.

"Anger?" He asked determinedly as I smiled a knowing half smile.

"Tom Quincy." I answered suddenly without even realizing the slip. Everyone else did because there were sudden murmurs. So, that had been the first thing to slip into my mind (said with a shrug). Wasn't that the point of the game? Tom grimaced.

"The devil?" He asked again as I shrugged again.

"Tom Quincy." I replied easily as he took another step forward. I circled around the table. He stopped.

"Hell?" He asked pointedly as I took a deep, unsteady breath.

"Tom Quincy." I reiterated as I stood rooted suddenly to the ground as he moved forward again. He was getting under my skin.

"Lies?" He asked quickly as I moved away once again upon regaining my senses. He was really asking for it, wasn't he?

"Tom Quincy." I answered without any hesitation whatsoever as he stood still again before rubbing a hand across his face wearily.

"Heaven." He said suddenly as I stared directly into his eyes. Yeah, he was asking for it.

"Tom Quincy." I remarked in a whisper as I watched his eyes widen considerably. The whole table was severely quiet now. I had surprised him--maybe nonplussed him a little. I think he was too stunned to continue. Tom sighed before turning as if to walk away. It was my turn to ask a question, even if I wasn't sure the timing was appropriate.

"Why did you let me drive the truck?" I asked him quietly as he took a couple of steps forward before turning back towards me quietly.

"Don't you know?" He asked in return as I shook my head slowly. He smiled as if amused by his sudden thoughts. Okay, maybe I did know but just wanted to hear him say it out loud.

"Because I trust you, Jude. Because sometimes the best way to illustrate that is to do something dramatic—like letting you destroy my garage." Tommy said with a laugh as I grimaced. I could have sworn I heard someone snicker as I let that statement process before grinning suddenly.

"Destroy is such a big word, don't you think?" I asked mildly as Tommy held a hand out to me in a gesture of peace.

"I think you and I need to talk." Tom remarked slowly as I nodded my head. I think he was right. We needed to talk. I didn't glance at anyone as I walked close enough to him to place my hand in his. The curtain was descending on this little show.


	37. Chapter 37

The man was demented—purely and utterly demented. I mean, what was with his sense of romanticism? First, he tried throwing me off of a cliff followed simply by a cold shower and now he was looking at me readily as he stood behind the open hood of the truck I had managed to wreck earlier. He grinned at me.

"Hand me a wrench, would you?" He asked soundly as I narrowed my eyes at him petulantly. Somehow, when he had said he had wanted to talk, I hadn't imagined us sitting here right now in his garage staring at grease covered mechanics. Tom lifted a brow.

"You frown any harder, Harrison, and your face will remain that way." Tom proclaimed as I crossed my eyes at him. Right now, I was not worried about my future facial expressions.

"That wrench?" He asked again as he pointed suddenly over at a radio sitting against the other side of the garage.

"Put on an old classics station too, Jude." He murmured as his head disappeared under the hood quickly once again. I wonder what would happen if I slammed the damn thing closed on top of that meticulously gelled scalp. Hmmmm…well, it's a thought. I shook my head as I grabbed a wrench and twisted the knob on the radio. It was already tuned and music from a bygone era spilled out of the speakers. It was incredibly nostalgic. Tom reached his hand out, and I placed the tool in it securely as I sidled up next to him—peering at the now familiar wires and technological accessories as I leaned over the open motor and battery with him. Working on my Mustang had taught me a lot about vehicles in general.

"Try twisting that." I mumbled quietly from beside him as he glanced over at me in surprise. What? I was a woman, not an alien life form. You know cars were not beyond the female realm of knowledge—just the men that drove them. I met his stare with sudden amusement.

"You can pick up your jaw now, grease monkey." I muttered as he winked at me before suddenly pinching me in the ass. What the hell?

"I'm suddenly turned on, Harrison." Tommy teased as I threw an old rag at his head. He caught it in mid-air and swiped his hands across it as he closed the hood and approached me stealthily. I backed up until I was leaning against the metal contraption—its cold surface pressing into my back as Tommy pushed up against me before reaching out to rub at an oil mark now marring my cheek. The gesture was oddly disconcerting.

"You keep running, Jude." Tommy whispered knowingly as his other hand came up to rest against the other side of my face. Running. He didn't say it as if he were asking me a question. He made it a statement because he knew that's exactly what I did. I ran. My head spun as I stared up at him—wondering as I did how we had come to this moment—how we had managed to fight our way to this peacefulness. I shook my head—dislodging his hands as I placed a palm gently against his chest. He didn't move.

"There's just so much left unsaid between us, Tommy." I whispered in return quietly as Tommy shook his head a moment in resigned agreement.

"Then say it." Tommy replied matter-of-factly as I just stared over at him both in disbelief and even in confusion.

"What?" I asked slowly. Boy, it seemed like I was asking that question an awful lot lately. What did he want me to say? Tom chuckled slightly as his face approached mine in some romantic sense of slow motion.

"Then say it, Jude. Go ahead. Get rid of whatever is left unsaid between us. It's just you and I right now. No one else." He stated simply as I felt my heart clench in decided discomfort. I didn't think I had the courage to say what was left unsaid. The radio broke through our thoughts and I laughed as I recognized the song by the Stevie Wonder. How appropriate for two people who had discovered each other all over again through the world of online mail. Tom smiled too as he shook his head—letting the music flow over us as he leaned over until both of his arms were place firmly on each side of me on the hood.

_Like a Fool I went and stayed too long  
Now I'm wondering if your loves still strong  
Ooh baby, here I am, signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours _

In that time I went and said goodbye  
Now I'm back and not ashamed to cry  
Ooh baby, here I am signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours

I gazed up at Tommy as the music played—letting my hand come to rest on his shoulders as he pressed into me further—his blue eyes shining with unresolved passion, anger, and even regret. Strange how we could feel so much for each other and still deny it. I watched the smile that played over the corner of his lips as he trailed a finger across my mouth. There was grease on his forehead, and I stared at it—loathed to wipe it away because it flawed him—made him seem more human, more approachable, 

Chorus  
Here I am baby  
Signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours  
Here I am baby  
Signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours (signed, sealed yeah)

I've done alot of foolish things  
That I really didn't mean (wrap me up)  
Hey, hey yea, yea, didn't I, oh baby (c'mon)

"Give me all of you." Tom whispered suddenly as I closed my eyes against the searing emotion—against the words that now held me captive. He was asking a lot of me—asking me to give up the distrust I had accumulated against him as a way to protect my heart. But what about him?

"I thought I was forbidden." I replied softly as he rested a chin on one of my shoulders—peering out into the night behind my back as his breath tickled the sensitive skin under my ears.

"The hell with forbidden, Jude. Your answer to love keeps haunting me. I'd rather sacrifice myself with you than sacrifice my sanity trying to stay away. God, half the time I can't stand you and others I can't imagine life without you. Both are irresistible emotions. I don't want simple anymore. I want complicated." Tom remarked as he lifted his head back up—letting his eyes rest on mine as I let my face fall in that age old expression that asked 'are you sure?' The certainty was there in his gaze as the night surrounded us—as the music played.

_Seen a lot of things in this old world  
When I touched them they did nothing, girl  
Ooh baby, here I am, signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours, oh I'm yours_

_Oo-wee babe you set my soul on fire  
That's why I know you are my heart's only desire  
Ooh baby, here I am, signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours_

I closed my eyes as he laughed. I think he knew I was afraid, and I could feel the challenge at the tip of his tongue as he kissed me suddenly—with more demand that any human being should ever be able to endure. There was need there too and something deeper. I was beginning to realize that there was never anything better left unsaid. It was better to be honest. The grill of the truck pained me as the kiss deepened and Tom lifted me up gently before carrying me resolutely over to the back of the vehicle—grabbing what looked like a blanket from a shelf as he went. Fear overwhelmed me as he lifted me up into the back of the truck after lowering the tail gate—moving over me as we fell to the floor of it gently—cushioned by the fabric that Tom had thrown down first. I could tell we were still silently battling it out—still fighting against control. I wasn't going to say it first.

"About things unsaid?" I asked him quietly as he pulled my shirt swiftly over my head. The breeze cooled my heated skin as Tommy did the same before lying down next to me—working on the rest of our clothes as he closed his eyes briefly.

"I love you, Jude Harrison." He finally said as I laughed at his resigned tone. Defeated by a woman. How poetic.

"You sound surprised." I remarked on a small laugh as he moved over me. He raised a brow up at me in question.

"Surprised?" He asked simply. I just nodded.

"Surprised that I'm so much woman." I replied confidently as Tommy laughed. I just grinned. Crickets sang along with Tom's radio.

_Chorus  
Here I am baby (unwrap me baby)  
Signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours  
(got the future in your hand)  
Here I am baby (unwrap me baby)  
Signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours  
(got the future in your hand) _

Hold my hand, let me know you can  
Hold my hand, let me know you can  
Tell me what you want me to do  
Hold my hand let me know you can  
Here I am baby, baby (That's right)  
Hold my hand let me know you can  
Here I am baby, baby

"Be honest." I quipped as his hands roamed places claimed by no other. He chuckled.

"Are you waiting for me to say you were right?" He asked as I shook my head in happy consent.

"No, I'm waiting for you to take me on." I stated simply as Tommy grinned at me wickedly before moving—entering that hallowed domain that now belonged to him. I gasped. 

Here I am baby  
Signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours  
Here I am pretty baby  
Here I am baby (unwrap me baby)  
Signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours (signed, sealed, delivered)

"Signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours." He whispered into my ears mimicking the song that had become our truth as we both reached heights that would never be possible had it been anyone else. Would you say I was lying if I told you that there was even a falling star in the distance?

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**Author's Footnote: So guys, what do you think? Should this be it? Huh? Or should I continue it on after this moment? It's all up to you. And as for those worried about my other stories, I start updating them tonight. I just had so much bottled up for this story, I had to let it out first. You know what tickled me funny today, and I'm not sure why. I just thought about the fact that if you have me on your alert list that whenever a new chapter shows up, it says You've Got Mail." Okay. Why that thought made me chuckle I have no idea, but hee hee must be one of those days. Please R&R guys and let me know if this should be the end or if you want me to delve deeper into what happens now that they've moved to the next level. I love the response I have gotten from you guys. It's amazing and you were really there for me through all of the baby craziness and etc. You guys are wonderful and you deserve the stories that I plan on rolling out. I just learned that I don't have to go back to work until the 24th so you guys have to put up with my many updates until then (laugh). Ahhh! Anywho, guess I will go for now. But I will be back later. Smiles and hugs. Oh and you guys have to check out JackJackio's new story Take Me or Leave Me. Her first chapter really caught my eye as well as a few of the other authors whose stories have caught my eye. You deserve the shout outs for giving me shout outs as well. Kris10rox I am glad that you are feeling better and your story rocks. Jonesy219, Headlock was fantastic. I hate the idea of leaving anyone out so just check out my favorites. All of you guys are great--all of you and each story is unique to you. And that's what's important. Lots of love to you all! Angel422**_  
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	38. Chapter 38

Special Note: Hello guys! Wow! The response! I am seriously amazed. You guys are wonderful and I am so glad that you don't want to see this end. Now that I have cleared up all of the errands and etc. that I needed to take care of upon my return from Georgia, I am prepared to do as I did yesterday and update, update, update. What do you think guys? So, I have decided over the next twelve days (until work beckons again after the twelfth day…blah!) to pick one story each day and type until my fingers fall off so people's choice, which story would you like to see me update tomorrow and maybe even starting tonight huh?

I have decided to continue You've Got Mail only because I have so many ideas for what happens next and because you guys overwhelmingly voted for me to continue it. Hint: What happens when Jude and Tommy come out? What happens when they return to Toronto? What happens when Tommy's family shows up in Toronto too? And are we done yet with Izzie, Heather, and Alexia? Hmmmm. Instead of doing a sequel as I have a dozen stories up at the moment (laugh), I am beginning a part two to this story. So this page is sort of a special thanks to you guys and a way to title part two.

You guys are wonderful and I look forward to the next twelve days of updating. Something tells me that by day five if I type like I did yesterday that I can have all of my stories complete and start thinking about new ones. Oh yeah! Ahhh (sighing). So once again, which story would you like me to tackle first? Lots of smiles and hugs to you all.

**PART TWO**

**SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED, I'M YOURS**

_(Coming soon…)  
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	39. Chapter 39

**Author's Note: Here it is guys!**

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PART TWO: SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED, I'M YOURS

It was the sound of a door opening that finally woke me up from the slumber I had let myself fall into—squirming as the unusual soreness in my extremities made me wince. I could really use a hot shower right about now.

"Are you okay?" Tommy asked quietly as I looked over the side of the tailgate to see him standing next to the truck door. So, that was the noise that had brought me into the world of the living? He was smiling as I shrugged before pulling the cover he had obviously draped over me after our little rendezvous last night up to my chin. The oldies station was still playing in the background and the smell of grease was still on the air, but unlike a few hours ago, streaks of light outside the garage made me awfully aware that twilight had come and claimed the night—eating it like a hungry shark would its prey. Realization floored me. Oh my God!

"They'll be fine with it." Tommy stated quietly as I dropped the blanket to grab for my clothes. He could answer my unasked question all he wanted and it still wouldn't reassure me. We had been out here all night. It was obvious that it hadn't been for vehicle trouble because, if that was the case, we'd have a nice little entry for Jesse James's Monster Garage at this point. Tom chuckled as I jumped down off the back of the truck after donning last night's clothes.

"And I know I'm lost when you look better to me this morning than you did last night." Tom commented as I rolled my eyes.

"Either that or you hit your head on something this morning. Maybe we should head for the house now." I remarked uncertainly as Tommy sighed. He must have sensed my unease because he walked out first—taking the lead toward the back door of his kitchen as I stared warily through the window at the dark silhouettes that inhabited it. Watching Tom open the door was like watching a scene from a really bad B-rated horror film. The hinges creaked. Dun Dun Dun…

"Good morning." Tom called out as he walked through—completely ignoring the knowing stares that followed us as Tommy pulled two coffee mugs down from his cabinets before grabbing for the coffee pot. A slight brush of air behind me made me jump as Mason came up to me and leaned over my shoulder.

"And here I thought he had murdered you and buried the body. Here's to hoping you aren't squeamish about sharing details." Mason whispered as I elbowed him in the stomach. He grunted.

"Could I get you a cigarette…a nice Columbian cigar maybe?" Tom's brother Matthew asked with a smirk as I blushed—staring down at the floor to cover up the fact that I felt uncomfortable. Tommy threw Matt a look that said 'back off' as Matthew just laughed. Everyone else was just quiet. Too quiet. Tommy handed me a mug of coffee just as Catalina edged up next to us.

"Can we talk?" She asked Tommy in a whisper as I winced. God, how had this happened? Oh yeah, Tom and I managed to have sex last night. Big deal, right? I was nonplussed. Tom stared at his mother for a moment before finally nodding reluctantly. I somehow ended up holding both our mugs as he followed her out of the room into the living room. My blood pressure was rising. Never good, I tell you. The rest of Tommy's family surged toward me as I almost dropped one of the cups.

"So…." Matthew began as he draped an arm across my shoulder casually. I narrowed my eyes.

"Can we talk book here…a biography maybe because let me tell you they give medals to women like you, or should give medals to women like you if they don't already, for unraveling the mystery of Thomas Quincy." Matthew drawled as I pushed carefully at his arm. Oh boy, did he have that wrong! I hadn't even begun to unravel Tommy's mystery. We had slept together. How did that change the obstacles that still sat in our path? It didn't. It just made them bigger. A sudden crash in the next room over made us all glance up quickly. Tommy's grandmother began saying something in Italian, and I realized suddenly that it eerily resembled a prayer.


	40. Chapter 40

**_Tommy and Catalina..._**

"Should I call you a therapist?" Catalina asked kindly as Tommy stared at her in aghast amusement while she wrung her hands unceremoniously in front of her. Tom laughed.

I'm sorry, can you repeat that, mere?" Tommy asked as he leaned casually against the fireplace that made up most of the entire side of the room. Catalina rolled her eyes.

"Put it this way, Son. I am trying to figure out if you did exactly what I think you did last night, and if you did, then I'm trying to decide if you are absolutely out of your mind." Catalina remarked as Tommy narrowed his eyes. She may be his mother, but she was beginning to step on unfamiliar hallowed ground. And can anyone tell us what hallowed means? It means sacred—that customary piece of territory that belonged only to him. Tom shrugged.

"Are you wanting me to confess something here? Because, seriously if your asking if we did the dance of love, the horizontal tango, the busy communal practice of the birds and their friends the bees…hmmm…maybe the libido limbo, sexobatics, intercourse..hell we'll just go for plain old sex here for two hundred points then yes, mere, I did all of the above and more. Now which category would you like to select for a thousand?" Tom asked Catalina as she stared at him in shock—amazed at his capacity to be blunt about the whole situation.

"She's seventeen!" Catalina whispered harshly—glancing over her shoulder as if she were afraid the statement would have the local police department swarming the place by noon. Tom chuckled.

"You don't say?" He whispered back in a conspiratory tone as Catalina's face turned red at the mockery. She was still his mother god dammit! Tom shook his head.

"Wasn't it you that told me to look for 'love right in front of my face?" Tommy asked quietly as Catalina swore—saying words in Italian that even had Tommy's brows rising to the top of his head. Alrighty then!

"I said in front of your face, Thomas, not inside your pants." Catalina commented dryly as Tommy laughed in shocked incredulity. And Catalina wondered where he got his bluntness from? One guess where. Tom pushed away from the wall.

"I'd say this family reunion is over. I'll be heading back to Toronto as soon as humanly possible." Tommy announced as he headed back toward the kitchen only to stop when his mother suddenly stepped in front of his path. Her expression was grave now—maybe even a little startled as she stared up at him intently.

"I have a plane ticket to Greece that says you don't love her." Catalina murmured as Tommy looked down at her now with a look that could turn coal into diamonds. She couldn't be serious.

"I don't want it." Tommy replied simply as he pushed past her again. Catalina stepped back.

"You've always wanted to know where he was, Thomas. _Who_ he was even. Are you willing to give that up now?" Catalina asked slowly in a strangled tone as she stood there hesitantly. It wasn't that she was a bad person, she just didn't want to see her son make a mistake—didn't want to see him fall in love with a girl still in her teens.

"Why, mere? Because you don't have the balls to tell the rest of the family that the reason I changed my last name is because I have a different father from the rest of them—that I chose that name because it belongs to the man that really donated you that sperm. Let me ask you, Mere, what would you call that again?" Tommy asked as Catalina froze. He was right.

"He was a mistake, Tom." She whispered as he clenched his jaw together before whirling around and picking up a vase near the couch—hurling it into the fireplace as he stormed over to her again.

"Then what does that make me?" Tom asked as the door between the kitchen and the living room swung open suddenly to reveal the startled expressions of those standing on the other side. Catalina blanched. What had she done?

* * *

**A/N: Hmmm…I was wondering if anyone noticed that Tommy's name was different from his family's. Hmmmm….**


	41. Chapter 41

**_Jude..._**

"What was that all about?" I asked Tommy carefully as he brushed by me and the rest of his family through the doorway into the kitchen and out into the hallway before slamming his fist into his palm as if by doing so, he was keeping himself from damaging the interior of his home. It made me nervous—this furious, almost hurt Tom as he paced the length of the floor in utter irritation. He looked up at me as I stepped into his path.

"What was that all about?" I asked again firmly in a tone that didn't brook any arguments. He paused before looking down into my face almost warily.

"It's a long story, Jude." He commented as I fisted my hands together and planted them on my hips resolutely. Just because we had been intimate didn't change the fact that I could argue the man under a rock if he wasn't careful.

"It's a good thing that I like stories then, huh?" I replied as he sighed deeply before finally pointing reluctantly past me at his bedroom door. Something told me he didn't want anyone else privy to this conversation so I shrugged before turning on my heels and walking into the room—moving to sit down on the bed in a cross-legged position as he paced again. Lord knows, I was getting sea sick.

"It wasn't about how we…?" I began as Tom shook his head—interrupting me as he looked up suddenly.

"It was about me being a bastard, Jude. About the fact that the reason my last name is Quincy instead of Romano is because I changed it when I discovered that my father wasn't the same as Maddie and Matthew's." Tommy remarked as I just stared at him in stunned disbelief. Okay. Wait a minute! Let me get this straight. He was basically the result of an affair? I processed that information before looking up at him uncertainly. Okay, so he had a different father? He had obviously known this for a while since he had made the decision to change his name so how come he had suddenly grown angry enough today to throw something? I knew how Quincy worked. It had to have been something drastic….

"That's not what made you so angry." I pointed out firmly as I looked over at him—interrupting my own thoughts with the statement as he shook his head. I took in a deep breath as I waited—watching as he stopped pacing long enough to stare at me in uneasy silence.

"No, the reason I got angry is because my mother offered to send me to Greece to meet my real father if I said I didn't love you." Tommy admitted as my blood suddenly ran cold. What? She hadn't! She couldn't have done something like that! Our relationship—or possible relationship—was too new for her to offer him something like that—something he had probably wanted for a long time now. I sighed as I processed Tom's confession before closing my eyes briefly.

"You should take her offer." I almost whispered—leaving my eyes closed as I listened to the shocked silence that followed my words before his footsteps began moving slowly toward me. I felt the moment his finger tilted up the bottom of my chin and I opened my eyes to see him leaning over me in confusion.

"Jude…?" He began as I smiled sheepishly before shaking my head to dislodge his hand.

"You never know when you might get that opportunity again. Only your mother knows where he lives, right?" I asked as he nodded. I had assumed as much or that Greece trip wouldn't seem like such a tantalizing offer right now.

"I didn't even know he lived in Greece until she let that slip." Tom answered as I shrugged—schooling my features into a bland mold of acceptance.

"Then you should go." I remarked simply as Tom sat there a minute before shaking his head again.

"No." He proclaimed roughly as he stood up and moved toward his dresser—opening drawers and dumping out shirts and etc. onto his floor.

"We're returning to Toronto." He stated firmly as I watched him a moment in quiet trepidation. Fine, we could return to Toronto, but I was going to find a way to get him to Greece. We had enough obstacles in our lives for his mother to try and make me an added problem. I didn't want to be a problem. I wanted to be an asset.

"Fine." I mumbled as I continued to observe while making silent plans of my own.


	42. Chapter 42

_**A few hours later…**_

"So you're saying what exactly?" Mason asked me curiously as he watched me pace the room slowly while staring at the packed bag now on my bed as if it were some form of devil incarnate. I didn't even look over at him as he swore.

"Jesus, Jude! This is madness. Do you even have any idea what you are doing? Any idea at all? I mean, come on…Jude? Are you even listening to me?" Mason continued as I just reached for the cell phone in my pocket for the second time in two hours to confirm the plans I had made. Mason groaned as he suddenly gripped me by the shoulders—turning me around so that I was forced to face him—so that I was forced to look directly into his eyes. I stared back into his incredulous gaze with unblinking intensity—letting him see the seriousness that resonated in my pupils. He swore again.

"The studio Jude…..Darius expects you back…your family….I mean, come on. You can't do something like this alone…." He began as I shook my head slowly before backing away from him—pressing the 'send' button on my phone as I shrugged.

"Then come with me." I muttered as a voice on the other end of my wireless contraption transferred merrily along the line. Mason slumped down onto the end of my bed in resignation. He knew me—knew the way my mind worked—knew what I was like when I had my mind set on something. My resolve was like steel, both unbendable and unbreakable. I would not capitulate. I looked up at Mason questioningly as the lady asked me something over the phone, and I smiled as Mason nodded before answering.

"I'm going to need two please." I replied as Mason ran a weary hand over his face while I finished the rest of the conversation before clicking shut my phone. And then I smiled.

"Just think of it this way, you and I will be two stalwart friends on the beginnings of an adventure." I remarked as Mason rolled his eyes—recognizing the line I had just used out of the 'Shrek' movie fame.

"Makes sense I guess. I certainly feel like an ass right now." Mason stated simply as I chuckled. Oh, but what would I do without the boy. Seriously, he was one of the best friends a gal could have, and thanks to G Major Studios and their little Instant Star contest, he had entered my life accordingly just when I needed him the most. I walked over to him and sat down beside him before draping an arm across his shoulder.

"I'm guessing that makes me an ogre then?" I asked helpfully as he frowned before looking over at the closed wooden door—sealing us into this room like two devious spies.

"I could ravish you now, my dear, but I'm afraid lover boy would come in here and make me regret it. Oh, but that is a marvelous idea. Let me ravish you." Mason countered as I laughed. I knew that statement was his way of lightening the mood—breaking the tension that flowed through us both as I dropped my arm and grabbed my suitcase. We both knew Tommy wasn't here, and I silently apologizing to him as I headed toward the door with Mason right behind me. We didn't have much time. Tom would be back from town any minute.

"You have everything?" I asked Mason quietly as I dropped the note I had written to Tom neatly into the center of my bed before exiting the house. Mason just nodded mutely as if speaking would break the quiet spell that had fallen over the place after Tom had asked his family to go home. I glanced back at the empty structure one last time as I climbed into the back of the taxi I had called earlier. Yes, a taxi. Believe it or not, even this little town had a service. Oh, what was I doing?


	43. Chapter 43

_**Tommy…**_

"Tom, we really need to talk." A voice said insistently as Tommy winced before slamming a fist into the truck he had just exited. Why couldn't she just leave him alone?

"I don't want to discuss anything with you. We've already talked and I think we've also managed to say everything that needed to said." Tom replied harshly as he walked passed his mother toward the house—his house—while glancing in trepidation at his brother and sister who were both leaning against his mother's car more than likely waiting for her. He wondered why Matthew hadn't flown out yet for his present home in New York.

"Thomas!" His mother called again as Tom sighed before turning the knob on the door of his home only to find it…locked? Wait a minute. He hadn't locked the door. Why would he lock the door with Jude and Mason still at the place? A numbness engulfed Tom as apprehension swept throughout his body. Jude…

"What's wrong?" His mother asked as she, Matthew, and Maddie suddenly made their way over to him—noticing the pale pallor that had swept over his features. Tom didn't answer—just closed his eyes briefly, said a little prayer, and then grabbed his house key before shoving through the door in dreaded expectation. God, she better be here!

"Jude!" He called out as he stepped into the foyer—looking around uncertainly as his call was met only with silence. Dammit!

"Jude!" He yelled again as he moved through the house—peeking into the different rooms as he walked by, vaguely aware that his family was following him—that they had grown awful quiet when they realized the woman that had caused all of 'their' problems didn't seem to be anywhere around.

"Tom…"His mother began as he whirled around suddenly—staring at her with a mix between unease and unadulterated anger as he shook his head.

"Just shut up, Mere. This is between her and I. Not you. Don't you think you've caused enough problems as it is?" Tom forced out as his brother Matthew suddenly tapped him on the shoulder. Tommy didn't look at him—focusing instead on the sad resolve that had settled over his mother's face.

"Tom…her bags are gone." Matthew said slowly as Tommy felt his heart go cold. She wouldn't have? Damn his mother. He knew Jude—knew she would have taken the jab at his pride personally. Knew that she would blame herself for the problems between he and his mother. He blinked as Matthew handed him a small folded up letter—a small lined square with his name scrawled across the front. Dear God! "_Jude, you better not have left to keep me from coming back to Toronto_," Tommy thought as he unfolded the note slowly—his eyes widening upon perusing the words before smiling slowly and even a little angrily. She could always manage to surprise him and make him angry at the same time while intriguing him on top of that. This was definitely not what he had expected.

"I think I need you to answer some questions for me, Mere. NOW!" Tommy demanded as he dropped the sheet of paper onto the floor—the words becoming visible to all of those surrounding it.

_Gone to Greece, Tom. I dare you to follow me._

_Love, Jude_

Matthew looked up at Catalina in confusion before glancing at Tom's tight features.

"Greece? Why Greece?"


	44. Chapter 44

**_Jude only a little later…_**

"This is insane. You _are_ aware of that, right?" Mason asked for the umpteenth time as I leaned back in my seat—staring out the airplane window a moment before turning to look at Mason with a hint of amusement in my tone. For some reason I was really enjoying myself—this whole random idea having turned me into a giddy mess only because I could imagine Tommy's reaction right now and it well….amused me.

"So…how long do you think it'll take Tommy to follow us?" I asked sweetly as Mason rolled his eyes before leaning over and grabbing the provided white barf bags in the seat in front of him—breathing into it in that exaggerated manner that suggested possible hyperventilation. I knew he just loved the drama. He raised a brow before pulling the bag away.

"In my estimation, he is probably already in the air—riding the next flight out so that he can hog tie you to the nearest chair and have his nasty little way with you." Mason responded as I laughed—I mean really laughed because despite that being an absolute wonderful fantasy, I knew better. More likely, Tom was throwing clothes into a bag, threatening his mother for the location of his father (which I was depending on him to do), and then huffily slamming into his truck and heading out into the sunset before hi-jacking a plane and finding me waiting patiently at the Greek airport in Athens with hands on hips and a smile on my face—a challenging one at that. Kind of like a huge scavenger hunt only with a sweeter reward. Besides, you know what they say about angry sex? Hey, a girl can hope right.

"Hmmm…maybe I should consider picking up a pair of handcuffs then…." I pondered as Mason groaned. What, too much information? He had asked for it with that comment of his.

"Your first time and you've already turned kinky. Girl, whatever am I going to do with you?" Mason asked me laughingly as he smiled prettily at a passing male flight attendant. Hmmmmm…what did we have here? I grinned mischievously as I stopped the attendant to ask for a ginger ale. Hell, Mason deserved the chance to have a little fun after all he'd done for me, and I hid a smile as I watched Mason check the guy out as he handed me my drink. He _was_ kind of cute. The man smiled back at Mason and I cocked my head to the side. Well, wouldn't you know?

"Could you get me a napkin too as well as a phone number for my friend here?" I asked quickly as Mason shot me a look that bespoke of a future need to throttle me. I think I surprised them both, but I just shrugged as the guy's eyes widened before smiling—picking up a napkin off of the cart he was pushing before writing something on it and handing it to me. I smiled—knowing without a doubt that it was his number. He walked off as Mason snatched it from me in surprised shock.

"Geez, Harrison! You and I need to stick together more often. You're great for my personal life." He commented as I thumpedhim lightly in the arm

"And you're not great for mine? Because, hell, you're half the reason I made that trip to Montana." I replied as I leaned back in my seat again—staring for the second time out my window as I thought about Tom. He was going to kill me.

"Come on big boy. Come and get me. I'm more than ready and willing." I whispered at the window as I smiled suddenly—getting the creepy feeling that Tommy was doing the same thing right about now—looking out a window and issuing a challenge along with a string of curses. Did I truly want to ask him if he had done just that when I saw him next because I think it would freak me out a little if I discovered we had a sixth sense when it came to each other. We would be in Greece before we knew it, and I fully intended to see his face departing a plane not long after I departed mine. Forget that. I depended on that fact. Come on master, come get the puppet.


	45. Chapter 45

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I am so sorry about the absence. I never like to let my stories sit too long. A friend of my family's died in a car accident on the way to go fishing in Louisiana this past weekend, and I have been very busy with the visitation and funeral. It was a sad ordeal, especially since his son was in the car with him and tried getting his dad out without success. Talk about heart breaking. I know how he feels, My mother died unexpectantly like that and it seems so unreal. After letting things wind down some, I have gotten back into my stories and looking forward to getting lost in the words. And for some of you who have asked, you will be glad to know I finally downloaded Yahoo Messenger on my new computer (laugh). It took three hours with dial up, but I do have it. Well, enough babbling, here is the long awaited next chapter of You've Got Mail with more coming today I promise. Smiles and hugs to you all and thank you ThatMoment for the ecard you sent me. Oh my God, that was just…yeah, I still feel great over that and just when I needed it too. Hugs. Angel422

* * *

**

_**Tommy…**_

"Okay, so is this some mixed up game that you two play on your off time?" Matthew asked soundly as he leaned back in the seat Tommy had purchased for him on this trip to Greece. Tom didn't say anything—just stared out the window at the passing scenery below with a clenched jaw and a resolve that was as hard as stone. Silently, he was cursing Jude while congratulating her all the same for having opened up this can of worms inside his family. It gave them all a chance to heal now—to maybe resolve some issues that should have been taken care of a long time ago. He thought back on the way he had driven off from his home—his bags packed and his brother following while claiming that he wasn't letting Tommy do this alone. As for his mother, He had told her that they would talk when he got back. For now, he didn't have the time--didn't have the patience to discuss anything until some things had been cleared up. He had to catch the next available flight to Athens so that he could capture Jude and thoroughly throttle the woman. Tom jumped as he felt his brother tapping him on the arm rather insistently—raising a brow at Tom as their eyes finally met.

"I asked if this was some sort of game the two of you played." Matthew repeated as he narrowed his eyes at Tom's musing expression. Tom just laughed before shaking his head.

"You have no idea, brother, no idea at all." Tom replied as he laughed again before staring over at the window and shaking his fist at the air. He could just see her now—standing with her hands on her hips, shaking her finger in his face, and going "Run Run as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm waiting for you, man." Yeah, that was Jude alright. She had been challenging him since the first day they had ever encountered each other—had discovered that they tended to rile each other sometimes to the point of no return. And they still went back for more.

"_I'd start looking for a crash helmet, puppet. You're in for one hell of a ride_." Tommy thought to himself as he chuckled suddenly—envisioning a daring Jude looking out another airplane window while whispering him a challenge in return. Oh, boy! A thought hit him like a light coming on suddenly—like a friggin' train speeding down a track. Who says Tom couldn't have a little fun with this. She wanted a scavenger hunt did she? Tom laughed suddenly as Matt glanced over at him in startled discomfort.

"Okay, you've started talking to yourself and laughing uproariously at non-existent jokes. Should I call for a psychiatrist now or…." Matt began as Tommy shook his head and placed a hand gently against his brother's arm.

"What if I told you I wanted to spice up this trip a little?" Tom asked mischievously as Matt narrowed his eyes.

"Spice it up?" Matt asked uncertainly as Tom laughed again. _"Oh, Jude, do you have any idea the kind of monster you've created in me_?" Tom thought as he nodded slowly. God, he hoped the rest of his life would be as exciting as this. She was like a drug that you couldn't resist.

"Hand me a notebook and call a flight attendant. I am about to charm the woman into giving Jude a note for me. Don't worry, things will get clearer as we go." Tom commented quickly as Matt stared at him a moment in wonder before doing as bid—laughing suddenly as he read the script that Tom scrawled across the blank paper handed to him.

"I don't care what anyone says. You two are definitely two of a kind." Matt muttered as Tom grinned. And he was planning on keeping them that way, but who says a man couldn't have a little fun with his puppet along the way. She may have learned to cut her strings, but he was good at pulling on even tattered threads.


	46. Chapter 46

**_Jude…_**

"Jude if you don't sit down soon, I am going to call airport security." Mason complained as I looked over at him sharply before continuing to pace again. It had been hours since we had landed. Where was he? Had I assumed wrong in thinking he would come? Of course not. I knew Tommy better than that. He'd be here.

"I'm serious. Stop it!" Mason reiterated as he stood up and grabbed me by the hand before laying an arm across my shoulders in that undemanding friendly way he had of doing when he knew I was stressed. Hell, this had been my idea. Why was I so…antsy? Okay, not antsy. Excited. I was downright excited as if I could already feel the heat of Tom's ire and the magnetism that somehow developed between us when we were arguing. He was my…my Tommy. The one person who could make me feel excited, angry, and on edge all at the same time. It was damn exhilarating! Mason squeezed my shoulder and I looked up at him with a smile just as a pretty young woman approached us uncertainly from the side. She was dressed in stewardess attire and I gazed at her curiously as she stopped in front of us.

"Jude Harrison?" She asked as Mason stepped back a bit while I nodded. Mason and I looked at each other a moment with unease. Oh shit! You know what they say about the best laid plans right? Something told me, mine were about to be all blown to hell.

"I was asked to give you this." The woman muttered before holding out a small white piece of paper, and I took it—thanking her as she nodded in compliance and then turned to walk away. Mason groaned.

"Don't open it! Lord knows, I'm scared to death to know what the man has written." Mason proclaimed as I looked up at him with a raised brow.

"And how do you know Tommy sent this?" I asked him with a smirk as he rolled his eyes.

"Oh please, Jude. You two are…unpredictable to say the least and this is…well unpredictable." Mason stated as he motioned toward the paper in my hand. I sighed before unfolding it slowly. He was right. This had fiasco written all over it. Tom's handwriting jumped out at me as I got it completely opened up and Mason drew up beside me—perusing it before laughing suddenly—gasping as he tried drawing in breath before finally collapsing on a nearby chair. His face was turning red and people had begun staring. Mine was turning red too but for a whole hell of a different reason.

"Oh man! He got you good, Jude. Oh God, I need an inhaler." Mason guffawed as I kicked at the legs of his chair—causing it to move enough he fell off onto the floor with a 'kerplunk.' Mason just continued to laugh as he picked himself up and brushed off his backside. Nothing was going to alleviate him of his humor. Nah ah! No way. I was so not amused—squinting my eyes as I looked up at the crowded airport before staring down at the paper again. I knew him. He would have asked the stewardess to wait to give it to me after he had managed to leave which meant he was way ahead of me already. Oh, my dear boy! How you surprise me. I grinned—handing the paper to Mason as the words flashed in front of my face.

_I hope you have your thinking cap on, my little puppet. Take a Golden egg and the god Apollo and you have this island where a restaurant near the beach will be awaiting your presence. The most popular of the dining venues. You've been a naughty naughty little girl. Ummm….the possibilities. See you in Greece. _

_Love, The Master_

Obviously, Tom had questioned some Greeks on the plane or he had been here on tour before with Boyz Attack. Either was a distinct possibility. Hmmm…and I was not above asking for help. I raised a brow up as I grabbed Mason by the hand, and headed determinedly toward an information desk I had spotted earlier while Mason grabbed for the handles of his luggage as I pulled on him. The lady behind the desk looked up at us in surprise as she laid down a book she had been reading and plastered on a smile. I grinned back.

"Is there anything you could tell us about the name of an island that might have something to do with a golden egg and the god Apollo?"


	47. Chapter 47

Oh, he was dead! That's all there was to it. At least I knew we were headed to the island of Sifnos now, and I looked back at Mason as he huffed and puffed from the walk to the Port of Pireaus in Athens from the place where the cab had deposited us. It was a good thing the plane had landed in the wee hours of morning before the day had really gotten started because we had to take a ferryboat to Sifnos following the exact instructions the ladyat information had given us. Thank the gods of these ancient isles for tourist hospitality. So, the man wanted to play games with me huh? I grinned. God, how my blood boiled right now!

"Damn, Athens has a lot of hills." Mason complained as we came up to the window that sold tickets to the different destinations. We had gotten here just in time. The third boat to the island was about to depart in fifteen minutes. Tom had probably caught the first. Damn him! "Just you wait, big boy." I mumbled as the man behind the window looked up at me quizzically. I grinned.

" I need two tickets to Sifnos, please." I asked sweetly as the man nodded before smiling and helping me figure out how much money it would take for the stubs.

"It is beautiful island. You two will enjoy greatly." The man babbled in broken English as I nodded—trying to hurry up the process without being rude as I stared at the dock that held our ferry. Ohhhhh! I was going to get him. So, he wanted a scavenger hunt? Damn, if I could just think of a way to get back at him. It made it hard when he was two steps ahead. The tickets were finally handed through the window and I snatched them greedily while thanking the man hurriedly.

"Let's go!" I cried out to Mason as he groaned.

"Okay, this is where I unload all of the bags on you and see how you feel." Mason declared as I smiled over at him. I wonder if it would be a bad time to admit that I was having a wonderful time with this—like I was part of a group participating in that show 'The Amazing Race.' I was anticipating the prize that Tommy had in store for me as we loaded the ferry, and I leaned against the railing as Mason settled in next to me.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" I asked softly as I stared out onto the blue water, the hills of Athens, the ruins that bordered it, and at the sea gulls that circled above our heads. Mason sighed as he scooted close enough our arms touched. He was literally my best friend.

"I have to admit, Harrison, that I am having a hell of a good time and that I would gladly do the whole Instant Star contest over again just so that I could ensure that we would meet." Mason admitted as I leaned over and brushed a strand of hair out of his face. He needed a hair cut.

"Nah, you'd just have withdrawals if you couldn't borrow my fingernail polish." I joked as he laughed before looking at his unpainted fingernails critically.

"Admit it Jude. The Coral Pink looked much better on me than it ever did on you." He stated simply as I chuckled. Yeah, he was one of a kind. The boat began to move and the wind assaulted us as people milled around the deck talking and enjoying the view. I felt like a mortal being played with by one of the mischievous gods on top of Mount Olympus. Tom a god, huh? How he would cherish that thought.

"Have you told him you loved him?" Mason asked suddenly as I looked over at the small currents caused by the movement of the boat in the water. Had I? I thought back to the moment we had finally come together in an ending that fitted the arguments we had had.

XXX

_I wasn't going to say it first._

"_About things unsaid?" I asked him quietly as he pulled my shirt swiftly over my head. The breeze cooled my heated skin as Tommy did the same before lying down next to me—working on the rest of our clothes as he closed his eyes briefly._

"_I love you, Jude Harrison." He finally said as I laughed at his resigned tone. Defeated by a woman. How poetic._

"_You sound surprised." I remarked on a small laugh as he moved over me. He raised a brow up at me in question._

"_Surprised?" He asked simply. I just nodded._

"_Surprised that I'm so much woman." I replied confidently as Tommy laughed. I just grinned. Crickets sang along with Tom's radio._

"_Be honest." I quipped as his hands roamed places claimed by no other. He chuckled._

"_Are you waiting for me to say you were right?" He asked as I shook my head in happy consent._

"_No, I'm waiting for you to take me on." I stated simply as Tommy grinned at me wickedly before moving—entering that hallowed domain that now belonged to him. I gasped_.

XXX

Now that I thought back on it, I hadn't told him. Mason watched me.

"Are you telling me that you two have…you know…and you still aren't really together—aren't a couple and all that other such nonsense?" Mason asked incredulously as I shrugged sheepishly. He slapped himself on the forehead.

"Oh, this ought to be interesting!" Mason exclaimed as I smiled a small half smile. Tommy had said he loved me. He did, right? I mean, not love as in the way we had been the past two and a half years. I meant the kind that mingled passion with lust, need, completion of the other. I shivered. Was this what this was about? Were we now using this trip, this news about his father, to discover the real depths of our love? If it existed the way I hoped it did? I smiled. Oh, master. I'm willing to let us find out. So very willing.


	48. Chapter 48

**_Tommy…_**

"Just make sure she gets all of that." Tommy stated as he handed the man at the restaurant the stuff he had gathered before paying him handsomely as Matthew stood impatiently at the doorway. He shook his head at Tommy as Tom approached him from across the room.

"You're taking on a lot, bro. Tell me, is she really worth all of this effort. Are you two even an item? Or is she just a cherished artist to you?" Matthew asked as Tom raised a brow before brushing past him outside into the cool seaside breeze. He grinned suddenly as he thought about the next clue he had left. He might be going out of his way, leaving a bread trail along the islands towards the place his mother had told him his father resided, but Jude was…well, Jude.

"She's worth it." Tom finally stated vaguely as he walked down the plateau toward the waiting cab. They had another destination to get to before bedding down for the night. He may have thrown this plan together, but he was determined to see it to its end with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. Matthew drew up alongside of him.

"Where is all of this leading, Tom? Where are you going with this?" Matthew asked as Tom shrugged. Sometimes it was better to let things go unanswered—better to keep people guessing. He glanced up back at the restaurant again as he smiled once more—that arrogant half-smile that was so easy for him. He felt powerful—like the god Zeus courting the mortal woman that would one day become the mother of Hercules. Hah! He wondered how Jude would feel if she knew he was thinking of her as a mortal seduced by the gods. Seduction was key, right? So, did he feel for Jude what Matthew was implying he felt for her? Hmmm…seems only fair he keep everybody guessing. Maybe it was time everyone just waited to see. He smiled again as he ducked into the cab with Matthew hot on his heels. He looked over at his brother with interest as Matt settled in next to him. Matthew had secrets too. Tom had known about it awhile now, but he had always left it unsaid before. Matthew looked up.

"What?" Matt asked as Tom perused him quietly after telling the cab driver to take them back to the marina.

"So when are you planning to tell Mere that you are a homosexual?" Tom asked suddenly as Matthew sat up quickly in his seat—staring at Tom as if he had grown two heads all of a sudden.

"Excuse me? That's ridiculous!" Matthew exclaimed as Tom leaned back casually in his seat before glancing over at Matt knowingly.

"Is it? Come on, you haven't been in a relationship in years. You never hit on women even when a blonde with size D boobs walks in front of your face and…well I've noticed other things as well over the years. Maybe it's because I don't live at home that I _have_ noticed." Tom remarked as Matthew looked at him a moment before sighing in resignation. And he had thought all of his pestering and snide comments to Jude had hid his real orientation. He leaned back in his seat too.

"Just forget about it, Tom." Matthew insisted as Tommy shrugged. Whatever he wanted. Jude would be here soon. He knew her determination, and she would soon be hot on his trail. Better to be the hell out of dodge when she did show up. As for Matt, this trip was all about discovering things about yourself. The home of the gods, the land of ancient myth and legend—like the trials of Hercules. Hmmm…..


	49. Chapter 49

"My God! It's beautiful!" Mason gasped as we hurried off of the ferry—running for the closet information desk we could find as we assessed our surroundings. It was a small island bordered by blue waters and breezes that never seemed to stop blowing while hills and white stucco homes lended it that clean, fresh feel—a feel that both of us seemed to need at the moment as we rammed into—literally—an information desk situated inside a small welcome center. I laughed breathlessly as I reached a hand down and helped Mason up from the position he had pretty much slid into just as the man behind the desk looked at us in startled expectation. I smiled as I gasped.

"I need to know the name of the most popular restaurant here in town." I stated laughingly as Mason started laughing beside me. I was having one hell of a time thanks to that ex-producer, more recent lover of mine, and I couldn't help but keep the smile plastered constantly across my face as the man behind the desk looked between the two of us knowingly.

"I would say the Sofia and Steki restaurant along the shore line on the right side of the island." The man replied as I nodded at him thankfully and pulled Mason along behind me again hurriedly. He was still laughing.

"These people have got to think we are nuts." Mason remarked as he followed along—walking the streets next to me as we started to descend toward a building that looked out onto the Aegean Sea. God, it really was beautiful. I looked around—hoping I guess that I would see _**him**_ there with arms crossed across his chest going 'well that was great fun wasn't it,' but I didn't get that lucky. Nope, he meant to play this game well didn't he? We both paused at the door of the restaurant as Mason looked down at me quietly.

"You ready?" He asked as I nodded before taking a deep breath and stepping inside. How did we know what to look for—who to ask for. A man approached us from the side with a smile and, when I turned to face him fully, I heard him say something in his native tongue that I would just about assume was probably the words "Oh, Hell!" Mason chuckled.

"I'm guessing Tom's been flashing a photograph." Mason uttered as I nodded my agreement. Obviously he had.

"Jude Harrison?" The man asked curiously as he continued to draw closer. I just nodded my head again for the second time in five minutes, and the man smiled before motioning for us to follow him. Oh, Tom had been one busy man, had he? It certainly appeared that way. We were led into a corner of the restaurant—a little ways away from the main crowd and asked to sit as the man walked away from the table—leaving us alone. I sat down and looked over at Mason.

"We might as well enjoy whatever this is, cowboy." I replied as Mason smiled. I could see the faint sparkle in his eyes as the man approached again—this time with two champagne glasses and a bottle of the bubbly concoction. He poured the liquid and handed us both a glass with a large smile. How…what's the word…elegant? I chuckled—my face freezing suddenly in that particular expression as a bouquet of roses were suddenly brandished from behind the dining counter along with another folded white sheet of paper, a small white box, and the sound of a very familiar song being played by a small group of musicians in the background. Mason raised a brow at the debacle as he listened in amusement at the Stevie Wonder lyrics while I took the box into my hands gingerly. My heart was pounding—actually pounding and the only thing it was was a simple little cardboard box. I started to pull the lid off so slowly that Mason finally leaned over and helped me. Inside—nestled against a white piece of cotton was a key. A what? It was a friggin' key for God's sake. What did I need a key for? Mason handed me the white paper.

"Maybe this will explain." He said quietly—answering my unspoken question as I unfolded the parchment. Tom's writing appeared blurringly in front of my eyes, and I blinked to clear the image.

_Congratulations puppet! You made it to clue number two. Take the key to my heart and go down to the bay. There you will find another ferry to a city famed for the birth of Aphrodite—the goddess of love—where they say she arose from the foam of the sea and became that aggravating woman of lore. The key goes to a room on the island where you will stay tonight before embarking on the next leg of your journey. You're almost there. Now look inside your flowers._

_Singed by one who cares _

_Sealed by a kiss_

Mason whistled as he read over my shoulder before leaning over and handing me the bouquet of roses.

"Damn, he's good." Mason mumbled as I laughed and dug inside the de-thorned flowers only to pull out…

"Oh my God!" Mason muttered as I laughed before placing a hand quickly against my mouth. It was the ticket stub to the Instant Star competition dated back to the day I first performed. He must have been there watching me even then—checking out the talent before making a decision about Georgia's offer. I laughed again as I upended the glass of champagne and stood up quickly—looking over at Mason as I shrugged. He smiled back

"Off to the birthplace of Aphrodite." I exclaimed as I looked down once again at the ticket in my hand. Tom…


	50. Chapter 50

**Author's Note: Oh Hi guys! Please let me know you guys are still with me. There were some workmen removing hurricane Katrina debris near my house and my phone lines were disabled for days. So I have been, gasp, without internet and dying over here to post. How absolutely ecstatic I was that my phones started working again last night and my internet was back up this morning. There were moments when I thought the internet was working before and would for a few minutes and then just disappear on me again. So, anyone missed me? Here's to hoping you guys are looking forward to a few new chapters in some of my stories. And thank you to all of those who PMed me asking about me. I found those messages this morning and I just have to give you guys extra hugs. Just so you know, I have not forgotten about you guys or disappeared. Laugh. Ahhh, but my dependency on online technology. Lots of smiles. Angel422. And without further ado…**

* * *

**_Tommy..._**

"I'm gay." Matthew stated abruptly with quiet, sudden reluctance as Tommy stepped out of the cab in front of the hotel he had registered Jude and Mason in for the night—refusing to even look back at his brother as he paid the driver and stepped toward the front entrance only because he knew what the admission had cost Matthew, knew how difficult it had been for him to admit it altogether. But, the fact that he had been able to state it so decisively despite the fact that it was a hard step to take, gave the admission that ultimate sense of purpose as if Matt were shedding an old distasteful skin and replacing it with something more comfortable.

"I know." Tom finally replied quietly as he continued to walk forward—missing the small shake of Matthew's head as he passed by the doorman.

"You take the admission so well." Matthew remarked as they both strolled along—stopping to smile pleasantly at the lady behind the check in desk before grabbing the keys handed to them and heading for the stairs. Tom laughed.

"I'm just relieving you of any stress at the moment so you can deal with the real emotional turmoil once you talk to that wonderfully precocious Mere of ours." Tom replied with a chuckle as Matthew choked on his own laugh. They both shook their heads simultaneously. Their mother was…for lack of a better word…interesting. Tom twirled Jude's next gift through the loops in his fingers as he stepped toward an elevator in the distance—waiting for Matthew to enter before pressing the button that denoted the floor they needed to get off on. Tom shrugged.

"Besides, Mason has given me an all new outlook on the other world of sexual orientation." Tom stated with a small chuckle as he thought back on incidents at his home in Montana—spending the morning venting about a spirited Jude while drinking a cup of coffee before throwing Jude in a cold shower and walking in on Mason painting Jude's toenails while she too vented about an aggravating Tom. Yeah…..Tom turned, startled when Matthew suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Mason's gay?" Matthew asked in surprise as Tom raised a 'you've got to be kidding me' brow in Matt's direction. He _was_ kidding right?

"Rupert Everett playing Julia Robert's close friend in 'My Best Friend's Wedding' gay. Yep, that pretty much covers it." Tom replied with a small nod as the elevator door opened again revealing a large suite made up of soft sofas, a jacuzzi, and candles along with a sheer curtained balcony that looked out over at the sea. Tom glanced around the surroundings and envisioned Jude walking through the door as Matt just stood silently beside him—too silently.

"He hides it well." Matthew finally remarked suddenly as Tommy turned toward him curiously.

"Hmmm…who Mason? Yeah, I guess he does. His career always depended on it before." Tom answered vaguely as he walked over to the balcony and looked out the window at the ferry skirting the waters in the distance. They needed to hurry.

"We need to move." Tom said quickly as he took the gift he had been playing with for about an hour now and pocketing it. He wasn't going to leave it here just yet. As a matter of fact….maybe the plans should change a little. Grabbing a piece of paper, Tom scribbled hurriedly before placing the note against the pillow on the bed along with a package. And then he laughed. Something told him Jude was looking out over the water right now and thinking of excruciating ways to punish him for this little goose chase, and he welcomed the excitement. He looked out the window again one last time at the sunshine outlined ferry.

"And legend says that Aphrodite was born of the foam of the sea around Cyprus—born of the froth to later play mischievously with the lives of mortal love. Hah! Aphrodite has obviously never met Jude Harrison." Tom whispered under his breath with a laugh before looking back to find his brother looking out the window at the ferry too.


	51. Chapter 51

_**Jude…**_

"He's gay I tell you." Mason stated around a mouthful of some confection the Greeks were known for and, damn, was it good. I just looked at him with a 'yeah right' raise of my brow before reclining my feet across his lap and breaking off a piece of his pastry—pulling it away from him as he tried to take it back.

"He is not!" I exclaimed as I both laughed and scoffed at the idea. Damn, but the two of us had way way way too much time on our hands if we were now starting to dismember the chemical makeup of everyone we knew to decide who was what sexual orientation. But this particular person? Mason laughed.

"Matthew Romano is most definitely and irrevocably gay. He passes the gaydometer test with flying colors." Mason remarked with a shrug as I just looked over at him with a small laugh.

"Gaydometer? And when did we start getting tests that discern these types of things?" I asked Mason whimsically as he threw me a look that said 'gay people know other gay people.' Hmmmm…homosexual telephathy…now that's a thought. I nodded thoughtfully.

"So, if that were the case, things could go very well for you back in Montana…." I replied teasingly as Mason tickled the bottom of my feet until I yelped.

"Despite popular belief, I do not jump the bones of all men I discover are suddenly gay…" Mason began as I raised my brow in that 'oh come on, my friend' look. Mason laughed again.

"Okay, so he's attractive. Most guys that look like him are not gay. They're famous pin ups surrounded by a million women. Gay or not, I am most probably not his type. Besides, don't we have a famous Quincy plan to thwart?" Mason asked—changing the subject in that way that bespoke of 'it's time to change the subject' so I let him. Although, I still hold to my belief that Matthew could not possibly be gay. Okay, so he hadn't hit on any of the women at the Bar-B-Q…had a thing for ballads…hmmmmm...okay, now is not the time for that thought. Nope, thwart Tommy plan was a much better direction of deliberation.

"Speaking of which…" I began as I chewed slowly on the cake I had snitched from him. Wow, this stuff was fabulous. God, I hoped it wasn't some sort of goddess ambrosia! And then, I started turning the hotel room key placed in the restaurant earlier over and over in my hand as I squinted at the metal.

"I wonder if there is anyone that he has come in contact with that would be willing, with money of course, to tell me his next step?" I pondered aloud as Mason pursed his lips in wry amusement before looking up over at the water. There was a hotel in the distance—the luxury kind that sat on the edge of the beach with a view of the coastline. The more elegant rooms—with balconies and private living rooms—were located on the upper floors and Mason stared at it almost wistfully. This trip had tired him out. And then something caught his eye, and he shook his head.

"Have you ever wondered if he might be watching you?" Mason asked as I looked at him uncertainly. Watching me? I looked around the boat warily.

"Do you think he is?" I asked with a small smile as the thought suddenly struck me as funny. Mason shrugged. Hmmm….he might be watching me huh?

"Did you ever take drama in school, Mason?" I asked with a chuckle as Mason grinned.

"Dear God, the wonderfully voluptuous Jude Harrison has an idea." Mason replied with a clap as I turned around and leaned against him.

"I wouldn't call it an idea exactly…."

* * *

**Author's Footnote: I am just loving this story because it delves so much into the connection between Jude and Tommy and brings Mason into the picture—playing with the issue that has stuck with me since the whole bathroom episode where Jude loses an earring. Yeah, I love them two as friends. Lots of smiles and hugs.**


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